Simple, Silky Butternut Soup

One butternut squash, halved, seeded, brushed with olive oil and roasted until tender in a 375 degree oven
+/- 1/3 cup Butter or olive oil
Chicken stock or water to thin, as needed
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Nutmeg (fresh grated if available, to taste)
Salt to taste (gray salt if available)
Grated parmesan cheese as garnish if desired

There are a lot of ways to attack this, depending on your time limitations.  You can roast the squash ahead of time, refrigerate, and make the soup when needed, in small batches if you like, or put it together the previous day and season to taste as you reheat it. Give yourself about 2 hours to complete this recipe from start to finish if you are roasting the squash the same day.  You will need a blender or stick blender to produce a smooth soup.  This soup is also delicious cold, if your fall weather is as fickle as ours. 

Roast squash 1 hour, check for doneness and roast until very tender, approximately 1/2 to 1 hour more.  Allow squash to cool enough so that it's comfortable to handle, then use a large spoon to scoop the flesh away from the skin.  If you're roasting the squash ahead of time and making the soup the following day, refrigerate scooped squash in a covered bowl or zipper bag.

If making in a blender, combine squash with sage, pepper and nutmeg, adding stock as needed to reach the proper consistency.  Blend until smooth. 

(Note: be very careful when bending hot soups in a blender.  Put the lid on loosely, and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent spills and burns.  I recommend waiting until the squash has cooled just enough that it barely melts the butter.)

If serving later, refrigerate blended soup and adjust seasoning as you reheat the next day. 

If using a stick blender (a versatile, relatively inexpensive tool-- get one if you can), place roasted squash in a saucepan with butter or oil, and all remaining ingredients except salt, and blend, adding chicken stock to thin to the desired consistency, then season to taste.

Apple Picking Time

 

Hey, Zucchini Farmers!

It's that time again! The time when the residents of a certain small town lock their cars, not because they are afraid something will get stolen, but because their neighbors, who have a zucchini plant or two, will sneak a bag onto the front seat of any car that is left unattended!

Don't forget:
Zucchini Cheddar Breakfast Biscuits
Ratatouille
Grilled, marinated zucchini (below) for an Italian Antipasto plate
and best of all: Zapples!

A zapple is what you do with a big, woody zucchini that's too big for any of the other uses, except maybe ratatouille (the diameter of an apple), peeled, seeded, cut into thick slices, and stewed with cinnamon, lemon juice and sugar. I tell you true, you can bake zapples into a pie, strudel or tart, and no one will know the difference. Also makes lovely zapplesauce and zapplesauce muffins. All courtesy of Andrea Chesman's great book The Garden Fresh Vegetable Cookbook.

To grill zucchini, eggplant or radicchio for antipasto, cut into manageable slices (for zucchini and radicchio, quarters lengthwise usually work, eighths for larger specimens. Thick slices for eggplant, also lengthwise. Marinate in olive oil and balsamic with a sprinkle of salt, grill until just tender, then put the warm vegetables back into the marinade to come back to room temp before serving. Salt more or add fresh chopped garlic or herbs to taste if desired.

Mike and I made some delicious burritos the other day with barbecued chicken, grilled zucchini, sour cream, homemade salsa fresca, lime and cilantro. We were using up leftovers, so we were both pleasantly surprised by how delicious our healthy meal turned out.

Berry Buttermilk Cake

This recipe is from the July issue of Bon Appétit magazine, originally for Blackberry Buttermilk Cake. I used blueberries and raspberries, as the blackberries from the garden have already come and gone.

If you read the comments on the recipe link, you'll see that there was a wide range of results, from overcooked to raw. I used a 10", glass-bottomed springform pan, set slightly higher than the middle of the oven. At 1 hr, the top of the cake did look quite brown, probably due to my poor positioning of the oven rack, so I covered it with a loose piece of foil, and it turned out just right when checked at 1:20.

As I sometimes (but not always) do when trying a recipe for the first time, I followed the recipe almost to the letter, including the double-sifting of the cake flour. (I did leave out the orange zest.) All ingredients were at room temperature. The sugar was a slightly coarser grain than my usual baking sugar, but as I said, it seemed to turn out just fine. The cake was moist and had a nice, creamy flavor, and the raspberries added just the right tang to the sweet blueberries. (About 3/4 blueberries to 1/4 raspberries).

When I do this again, I don't see any reason to use a springform, rather than the upside-down cake method (Plum or Pear) in a regular pan, as long as your pan is both wide and high enough to hold this amount of batter. A thicker pan will transfer heat more evenly than a thinner pan, so use a good quality cake pan.

I found the sequence below of, "Remove pan sides. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan bottom; peel off parchment." to be unnecessarily complex, not to mention awkward with a warm cake. (We had a bit of a fail on this part, which didn't affect the deliciousness.) Much easier to invert a single cake pan onto a plate, allow to cool further and remove, or, if you've used a parchment circle, cool, invert, de-pan, remove parchment. If you do use a springform, I'd recommend loosening the edge with a knife, then inverting onto a plate, then removing the sides, then the bottom, then the parchment, rather than trying to get a rack involved.

All that said, this is a very tasty cake. I may just adapt my normal USDC recipe and use sifted cake flour and buttermilk to get the flavor without the fuss.

Berry Buttermilk Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan and parchment
2 1/3 cups cake flour (sifted, then measured) plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) fresh blackberries
1/4 cup plus 1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
special equipment:

Use a 9"-10"-diameter springform pan
Preparation

Position a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°. Butter pan; line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Butter parchment. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Arrange berries in a single layer in bottom of pan; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup sugar.
Sift 2 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter and remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar in a large bowl at medium-high speed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and zest. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until incorporated. Pour batter over berries in pan; smooth top.
Bake until cake is golden brown and cake bounces back when pressed gently with fingertip, about 1 hour 25 minutes for a 9" pan and about 1 hour for a 10" pan. Let cool in pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin, sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove pan sides. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan bottom; peel off parchment. Dust top generously with powdered sugar and let cool completely.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/07/blackberry-buttermilk-cake#ixzz1TuJ47OSM

Sheila Landre's Towel Manifesto

My mother asks that I post this as a public service announcement to all towel users, present and future.

ABOUT TOWELS
An Expository Essay

These guidelines for towel usage will help you form good habits and save money in the future when you are in charge of towels of your own. There are many kinds of towels and each has its own purpose. Some require extra care and some do not. Some are more cost effective than others. Some have sentimental value to their owner and some do not. Some are disposable. Some last forever if properly treated.

Bath towels are decorative and useful. They are usually made of cotton terry cloth, come in several sizes, and are often purchased to match the decor in color and style. They are intended for public viewing as well as private use. They are meant to dry by absorbing clean water from human skin. Please do not mop the floor with them, wipe off hair dye, toothpaste or whitener, or bodily fluids with them.

Rinse all that off before you get to a towel so that you are merely wet. Then hang the towels neatly on the rack or a hanger to dry out for the next usage. Otherwise towels must be washed using extra soap, water, and electricity. Over time utility bills will increase as more and more towels are unnecessarily washed and dried. Eventually the towels wear out faster and need to be replaced.* Someone has to pay for these.

*Such worn-out or nonstandard towels may be redesigned as “Utility Towels”, used whole or subdivided, stored separately, folded to indicate they are no longer for use on human surfaces, and can be marked as such with an indelible marker. (See Paragraph 4. Use as an alternate to Paper Towels).

Kitchen towels serve a similar purpose and come in two categories: small towels for drying hands, usually terry cloth, and small towels for drying tableware such as plates, pots and pans and silverware. These are cotton or linen and are often decorative, even seasonal. Some households choose to use the same small towels for both hands and dishes while others differentiate. Each is used to dry plain water from surfaces. Dishcloths (sometimes called “dishrags”) are meant to be soaked in soapy water in order to wash dishes, etc. and countertops. They are then rinsed clean and hung by the sink for future use or put in the washer and replaced by a clean cloth.

Kitchen towels should not be used to wipe up spilled drinks or food, mop the floor, clean spaghetti sauce off the stove or jelly off children’s faces. Do you think somebody’s grandmother embroidered these things just so you could destroy them? If you want to clean up messes which might leave stains, use the dishcloth and then rinse it or use the paper towels (or utility towels) --that’s what they are for!

Modern paper towels --or “PT” not to be confused with “TP” (toilet paper) on a shopping list--come in a variety of configurations and absorbencies as well as with colorful decorations. They are meant to be disposable. Please fit the product to the need and do not use more than necessary. Paper towels now can cost nearly $3 a roll so why would you waste great gobs of them simply to dry your wet hands when there’s a perfectly good hand towel right there? And while you’re at it, why not hang the towel back up the way you found it? Paper towels are ideal for those little messes which are dropped on the floor, for cleaning jelly faces or the emergency bodily fluid situation. Don’t overlook the usefulness of a box of tissues or an efficient house pet to augment your kitchen towel needs. They come in a wide variety of sizes and styles.

Of course if you have unlimited financial resources your choices are broader. You may choose to use paper towels for all your cleaning and drying needs. You may not care if your best bath towels are stained with tomato sauce or bleached with tooth whitener. You may delight in washing every towel after every use and drying them until they are hot enough to burn your hands. You may enjoy the feel of masses of paper toweling soaking up water from your barely damp hands and then filling up the garbage can with their wadded masses. Some people find that very satisfying. Maybe you enjoy defiling your grandmother’s handiwork by using her lovely day-of-the-week tea towels as a mop. When you are calling the shots, that will be your choice.

Thank you for reading my essay on towels. I hope I have given you something to think about and that someday you will consider passing this information on to your children, grandchildren, other family members, and closest friends.

Happy drying!
Sheila

Summer

Spent an afternoon catching some pretty light around the ranch.

The Moon's Twin

Where DOES the time go??

I have been doing a lot of reading lately, mainly Natalie Angier's The Canon: A Whirlygig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science. A whirlygig tour, indeed! Whether you are a science-head like me, or just a fan of fantastic prose, this is a book worth reading. Ms. Angier has a flair for the alliterative and the poetic. Reading her paragraphs is like a hyper-speed Easter egg hunt. Just when you think you've spotted every pop-cultural reference and hidden couplet, you realize, in retracing your steps, that there was one more gem hiding in plain sight. Not only do I love the book, but the book makes me love and treasure science again. The wonder of childhood magnifying glass adventures is restored, and the magic of our world is made real again. Tall order, eh? Yes, and delivered with a bow on top in this fast-paced, fluid and compact volume.

Speaking of magnifying glasses, have you seen this piece about grains of sand? It makes me want to run out and buy a magnifying glass right now. And spend all day at the beach looking at sand.

(copyrightProfessor Gary Greenberg, SWNS)

Gorgeous!

I've just finished the chapter on Astronomy, and am headed into Geology (completed Statistics, Chemistry, Molecular and Evolutionary Biology and Physics). Here's something I've learned that you might not know either: at the center of the Earth, there is a moon. Rather, there is a dense, solid central core, made mostly of metals, about the size of our moon.

The original chunk was part of an orb that collided with the Earth in the early days of our planet's formation. In return for giving up a chunk of itself, this roller-derby queen of a planetary object lopped off a section of Earth that now floats in orbit around us, tethered by the gravity of our comparatively large mass, and the weight of our dense, metallic center. Like Shel Silverstein's Missing Piece, or the long-lost human halves in The Origin of Love, the pale, reflective, floating moon is doomed to circle its lost counterpart, held tight by its gravity, forever kept at a distance by its magnetism.

Isn't science beautiful?

Maryland Farmer

If you ever have the opportunity to watch the dubbed-for-TV version of Jackie Brown, get yourself a bowl of popcorn and prepare to crack up. I don't know who is responsible for the alternative language, but they must have had a great time. Still looking for the definitive list of all the substitutions.

Here are a few culled from the internet:
1. Mamajamma
2. Maryland Farmer (as in: Shut the farm up you farming Maryland farmer.)
3. Mud shoveler

These I managed to write down between belly laughs:
4. Melon-peeler (Picture Samuel L. Jackson saying, "You tell that farming melon-peeler I want my money.")
5. Motorscooter
6. Mortgage broker
and the mysterious
7. Mobyfinger
8. Snack was substituted for the s-word on more than one occasion.  (I don't want anymore of your snack, Mobyfinger!)

At Long Last

For all of you who have moved too far away to share this with me here in Napa. This is a little different from the original granola recipe I posted, but this is the real deal, brown-milk-making, addictive nuggets of molasses-y goodness that you know and love.

Auntie Tam's Molasses Granola

Mix together
6 C old-fashioned oats
1 C blanched, slivered almonds
1 T cinnamon
1 C unsweetened shredded coconut

*Melt together below ingredients and drizzle, stirring, into above
ingredients*
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C butter
1/4 C molasses, dark
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup raisins (or currants, or any other dried, unsweetened fruit)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Oven 275 degrees, spread mix on parchment paper on deep-sided cookie sheet
or roasting pan (mine is 3-4" deep)
Bake for 30 minutes, stir
Bake for another 30 minutes
Stir in 1 cup of raisins, currants, dried blueberries, cranberries etc., and extra nuts if you like.
If necessary, bake for another 15 minutes, until evenly pale golden all over.
Cool completely and store in air-tight containers. Don't stir while cooling, as this is when the nuggets of molasses-covered goodies form.
I usually have to split the dry ingredients into two big bowls, as this makes a huge batch. Once the granola is in the pan, I also drizzle just a little more molasses in a thin stream across the whole thing to make sure there are plenty of nuggets. Iron and B vitamins! And deliciousness, of course.
Love,
Tamara

Still Breathing

The soundscape at the winery sparkles with birdsong in the morning when I arrive. Mockingbirds, finches, acorn woodpeckers, yellow warblers, bluebirds, robins and assorted other peepers, cheepers and songsters throw their two cents into the mix.

Tiny gray and black, blunt-beaked birds pick through the cracks between the stones for insects and seeds. A tall heron occasionally strolls through the vineyard, and hawks and turkey vultures cast slowly looping shadows on the hills. Some days it's downright Snow-Whitish around here.

A pair of rosy-capped House Finches, in particular, has its nest in the joint of two beams under the eaves in front of my office window. This morning, as guests were arriving for the first tour, I could see one couple standing on the picnic bench on the patio, pointing at the nest. Three babies huddled inside, close enough that we could see them breathing. The nest seemed to be built at an angle, sloping towards us. That was when we noticed the two hatchlings on the ground below the nest.

One of the nearly-naked little babies was already a goner, but the other still gasped weakly for breath. I got a ladder while the gentleman who had spotted it held it in his hand to keep it warm.

Some of you may already have your wagging finger at the ready to scold us for touching baby birds, because everyone knows their parents won't accept them when they've been touched by a human. And you would be wrong. According to naturalist Lyanda Lynn Haupt, the author of Crow Planet (and probably many others) it's ok to quickly scoop them up and pop them back in the nest. Bird parents would rather have a live baby bird that smells funny than a dead baby bird. This doesn't mean that we should go around poking into nests and petting them, just that in an emergency, we'll likely be forgiven. (Having just finished the book yesterday, I was perhaps a bit overzealous in the encouragement of my accomplice.)

I'm ready for your second objection as well. Baby birds fall to the ground for a reason, and bird parents who can't build a proper nest for them don't deserve to reproduce. We should let nature take its course for the betterment of finches everywhere. On this count, it turns out, you may be right.

Within the hour, the poor, pathetic little thing was back on the ground. On closer examination, it appeared that the nest had been pulled or tipped out of position, its edge at a coy angle, like a lady's cloche hat. The three remaining hatchlings were clinging fiercely to the far edge, their half-bald backs pulsing with breath. And something else: they were twice the size of the two fallen young.

Holding the tiny, gasping creature in my hand, I realized that the parents were not just foolish birds who had built a faulty nest, but perhaps the intentional architects of this catastrophe. Three healthy babies, two weak ones. Without the physical strength, (or maybe even the ruthlessness) to pick the weaklings up and drop them elsewhere or push them out, they simply pulled at the nest's edge and let the rest happen as it would. And it did. The stronger siblings prevailed. I held the unfortunate thing in the warmth of my palm until I could find a small box so that at least it would have a quiet place to slip away. I heated a wet towel in the microwave and placed it in a zipper bag under the box for some warmth in the chilly office.

Defying Charles Darwin's tenets and nature's wrath, I climbed back on the ladder and tacked a few supporting twigs to the beams like a balcony railing, to keep the rest of the nest from falling completely. The three strong babies can relax their frantic grip and maybe get some rest. The finch-parents have returned to tend them without any visible fuss or dismay, and their remaining offspring may well live to breed next spring.

The warm, quiet little box sits on the desk next to mine. Inside it, the little bird is still breathing, still moving now and again, no longer gasping or writhing. This could be a sign of improvement or decline, it's hard to tell. Even if it recovers from this morning's ordeal, it is too small to survive much longer.

Having disturbed the natural course of events, I'm now left with the dilemma of what to do with it. Was it perhaps the wind, or the gropings of an unwelcome predator, that set the whole drama in motion, and not the will of wise birds? If it lives the remainder of the day, dare I slip it back into the nest?

I don't know the answer.

***

Update: Believe it or not, the little thing made it through the day and seemed to stabilize. Because it was still too weak to hold its head up to feed, I decided it was best to deliver it to the local wildlife rescue.

At the rescue desk, the veterinary nurse who accepted my little package said that they had received at least nine other little birds just as feeble and featherless that day, so it will be in good company. It's up to him/her now!

Your Irises Are in Bloom!

Ahhh, Spring!

I couldn't resist these radishes at the store yesterday. I also bought a couple of French baguettes at Model, and some local, fancy European style butter (and bresaola and pâté maison) at Fatted Calf, in another attempt to love radishes and butter on a baguette. With salt, I *like* radishes and butter on baguette, but frankly, I'd just as soon have butter on a baguette. I'll keep trying, though.

But aren't these radishes just gorgeous? I think when the Easter Egg radishes arrive, I'll buy another bunch just to gaze upon, and maybe try the recipe I saw in one of the food magazines (now, where was that...?) for roasted radishes. Or this one, for butter-braised radishes, from Orangette...

Also made the Lemon Pudding Cakes again. Turned out deeeelicious. This time, I used buttermilk instead of milk, and added a tablespoon of sugar to offset the extra sourness. I had the extra time before our guests arrived to cover and chill them, and this time, the pudding did separate out from the cake on top as promised. Topped them with whipped cream and more raspberries, and they were gobbled up before I could get a shot of them. Next time!

Spring Menu:
Baguettes, cheeses, butter, radishes and charcuterie
Asparagus risotto with whole asparagus
Grilled pork tenderloin with garlic and rosemary
Lemon pudding cakes with whipped cream and fresh raspberries

Road Trip!

After stopping off at the cemetery to see some relatives, we headed out to Lighthouse Point to visit some more of our loved ones.

Grandpa attempting to explain the finer points of Steamer's Lane surfing to Molly. She moves so fast, this was the only non-blurry picture of her!

Grandpa looking out over Capitola, the town of his youth, the next day.

A very nice young man named Matt invited us in to see the inside of the Cliff Avenue house that was purchased by my great-grandparents for $5,000 in 1939. This is Grandpa showing us the corner wall where he and his brother would have their height marked in pencil each year. He is demonstrating the fact that my great-uncle grew to be 6'4".

Our missions were accomplished, the weather was perfect, and a good time was had by all. Thanks, Molly, for doing almost all of the driving! (Sorry about the picture, but it was the only one where you weren't blurry or making a funny face.)

Supercalifontalisticexpialidocious

I do not know what is going on with the fonts on this blog. I was pasting from Word, and I think some of the font commands were sticking in there like popcorn kernels in the teeth, even after I took them out, but I think it is under control now. Sorry about the chaos.

Return of the Caesar

This will be the second time I've posted this recipe, but I don't want you to miss it, since today I made a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and it hit the spot. Now I know that is the opposite end of the spectrum from avant-garde, GCCS being ubiquitous these days, from McDonald's to the haute-est retro steakhouses, but the difference between a vibrant, punchy, fresh-tasting CS, and one that is bland and greasy, is in the dressing. THIS is the dressing you want: lemony, garlicky and full of depth and flavor. On a warm evening, a moderate amount of this dressing, tossed with cold, crisp romaine lettuce and fresh grated Parmesan (put that green can away before I smack someone!), eaten with grilled chicken from the barbecue, will revive your sense of what this salad can be.

I posted this once here, in 2007, and it's true that I did learn to make it in a five-gallon bucket in Michael Chiarello's Tra Vigne kitchen, under the tutelage of the impish cold-side wizard Peggy. It is still the best, the original, authentic Caesar salad dressing. If you must, due to health reasons, omit the egg yolk, the dressing still tastes ok with the Dijon as the only binder, but take care when you emulsify that you go slowly with the oil at first so that it doesn't break.

A couple of things you need to know about this recipe: one, it makes about a half-pint of dressing, which is a lot. Be prepared to share, or to have more than one salad in a week. And two, both people had better partake. As with all things garlic and anchovy-y, this dressing packs a serious wallop in the breath department later. But raw garlic is good for you, and it's soooo delicious. I used Meyer Lemon juice, so I added a full tablespoon more for the right amount of tartness. I like my Caesar dressing lemony.

This was also my Grandma’s favorite Caesar salad, reason enough to justify a trip down from Tahoe just to eat at the restaurant.

Caesar Salad
(From the Tra Vigne Cookbook, "Piadine with Blue Cheese Caesar Salad" by Michael Chiarello and Penelope Wisner. Blue cheese, though I love it dearly, is a terrible waste of the subtle and not so subtle flavors in this dressing. I prefer the original recipe.)

1T Champagne vinegar
2T Fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
1 egg yolk
1 tb dijon mustard
Dash Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets (buy the filets in a jar of oil rather than the can-- they are much neater and easier to store, and keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator)
Pinch fresh ground black pepper
1 cup pure olive oil
2 tb freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling on salad

Using a blender, food processor or stick blender, mince the garlic, then add the vinegar, lemon juice, egg yolk, mustard, Worcestershire, anchovies and pepper and blend until well mixed.

With the machine running, add the olive oil, at first by drops and then in a thin, steady stream until all of the oil is incorporated.

Pulse in the finely grated parmesan

Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use. Toss with chilled, chopped hearts of romaine, and extra parmesan until the greens are evenly but thinly coated.

Do not overdress; keep a bowl on the table for those who like more. Top with chicken if you like. Or dip raw vegetables in it, or make a warm/cold piadini (a folded flatbread sandwich) with it, using some Trader Joe's raw pizza doughs cooked up on the barbecue grill or in the oven, or soft, storebought flatbread. Trader Joe's also has a good one.

Note: If you have no food processor or blender, chop the ingredients very fine, then whisk them together with a wire wisk, or pummel them using a mortar and pestle. Emulsions are a little tougher to do with a whisk, but that's the way they were done forever and ever, so just roll a damp towel into a tube and wrap around the base of a stainless or glass bowl, tilted slightly, so you'll have two free hands, and whisk away, remembering to go very slowly at first with the oil, and you'll be just fine.

Enjoy!

Heartwarming

Recently, after a not entirely unpleasant but not fun dentist appointment, I thought back fondly to my childhood dental experiences. (Yes, you read that right.)

We had the very best dentist* from the time I was ten or so until I left Modesto at 18: Dr. Robert Venn. He is still practicing.

(*Due in no small part to the very comprehensive insurance that my dad worked very hard for at Pacific Bell)

I am so thankful for those early experiences with a gentle and compassionate dentist, whose staff was friendly, and whose treasure chest was always full of toys. I remember one experience in particular when I bravely, silently endured the giant needle, but great big tears rolled out one after the other anyway as I stared at him with big, wide eyes. He wiped my tear away with his finger and said, "Why you're a little waterfall, aren't you? I'm sorry this hurts, sweetie." For some reason, the memory of that tenderness still brings tears to my eyes.

I looked him up on the internet and wrote him a thank you note, to let him know what a lifelong impression his professionalism and kindness made on me. As an adult, I have no stress when it comes to dental work, and can almost fall asleep in the dentist's chair. I told him so.

Here's the response I received:

Tamara-

It was wonderful for me to read your card and feel the sentiment you shared.

I have found that life's joys are around human connections and for that reason your extra effort in contacting me is greatly appreciated.

I've also noticed that the graces in life which we receive are best appreciated when we are open hearted, and it is with that attitude that I thank you and wish you open-hearted possibilities for your future.

Bob Venn

I post this not because I want to pat myself on the back for thinking of writing him a note, nor to betray the confidence of his personal reply, but to shine a light where it is deserved, on a truly lovely and remarkable individual who is still influencing the lives of those he treats.

Dr. Venn, you are awesome.

Loyal Gum Chewers

I thought about that phrase, "loyal gum chewers," and all I could picture was a gang of slack-jawed, flabby patriots convening under limp banners.

Fear not, Southern ladies! I do not (ever) chew gum in public, as long as you don't count the inside of my car as public. I never chew it at the store or in front of anyone other than Mike, or very, very close friends, inside the car or inside my private home.

And, for the record, I have been choosing Trident White or Orbit White lately, because they are in wrapper-free packaging AND they claim to whiten. I am all about maintaining the choppers.

Homemade Lemon Curd

Homemade Lemon Curd

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice (from 2-4 lemons, depending on size)
lemon zest from 2-4 lemons
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pats and returned to the fridge


Fill a medium saucepan with water to 1” up the side. Place water on med-high heat. (This is for a double-boiler, so make sure you have a metal mixing bowl that is big enough to sit in the saucepan without touching the water.)

In the bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth, about 1 minute, then whisk in lemon juice and zest.

When the water reaches a steady boil, reduce the heat slightly and place the bowl on top of the double boiler. Continue whisking on the heat for approximately 8 minutes, or until the mixture is a light yellow and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon thickly.

Remove from heat and drop in the pats of butter one at a time, whisking until each is completely melted and incorporated before adding the next.

Pour into a container and refrigerate for at least one hour, covered with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on top of the curd. Lemon curd keeps 2 weeks covered. (Recipe from Alton Brown's Good Eats.)

Mike used this as the filling between the layers of my fantastic birthday lemon layer-cake. It would be nice with any sponge/white cake, and whipped cream frosting is lovely and doesn't make a cloyingly sweet cake. With so many Meyer lemons about right now, we've got to use as many as we can!

You could also...
spread it on a hot buttered scone
layer it with Greek yogurt and blueberries in a parfait
fold some into whipped cream to top a fruit dessert or tart
stir it into vanilla ice-cream
layer it in a trifle with lady fingers and fresh fruit
or use the lady fingers to make little lemon-cream sandwiches for an easy dessert…
lots and lots of uses to keep you from simply eating it from the container with a spoon!

Waffles

(Sorry, you'll have to use your imagination here. As usual, the waffles were gobbled up before they could be photographed.)

I love waffles. Pancakes, I can take or leave, but if there is a waffle on the menu, chances are I will have it. My very favorite breakfast out is a crispy waffle with an over-easy egg or two on top. I eat half of the waffle with the egg, and then the other half with syrup or powdered sugar and butter. Add a side of bacon and a good, strong cup of coffee with cream and I'm in breakfast heaven. (In Seattle, you can find a very delicious version of this at Glo's.)

As is the case with many food items, once you have the perfect waffle, anything less is just not worth eating. When I received a waffle iron for Christmas (now, that's just dangerous) I researched the heck out of recipes before attempting any of them at home.

Fortunately, Molly over at Orangette had already tested a number of recipes and recommended two that she found to be superior. Since hers was the Dutch Baby recipe that started it all, I tried both. Orangette Waffle-Off

Marion Cunningham's waffles were mind-blowingly crispy and creamy, but the yeastiness didn't work for me- they tasted too much like beer. Of course, lacking beer, the batter could be used to cloak some big shrimp before frying. This recipe also needs to be started the night before, which is great if you think about it the night before, but a bummer if you don't.

The waffle we have come to love is the one she calls "Great Make-the-Morning-of Waffle". More details at the link above than I've given here. It's a good idea to read through her thorough description of the method before beginning. (Adapted from this, originally written by a nice lady named Aretha Frankensteins. If that isn't a great band name, I don't know what is. If you search under "Waffle of Insane Greatness," you will find that this recipe has been pretty thoroughly tested all over the blogosphere.)

Because we all need our fiber and whole grains, I added ground flax and use about half whole wheat flour. I've tried corn and buckwheat too, but I like this combination the best.

Waffles- Batch for 2 + a few for the toaster

Dry
¾ c flour, half all-purpose, half whole wheat (adjust flour mix to your liking)
(or 100% AP for standard recipe)
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp bp
1/4 tsp bs
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp sugar
+/- ¼ cup ground flax (to your taste)
(omit for standard recipe)

Wet
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup milk
1/3 c oil
1 lg egg
¾ tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Lightly beat egg, add remaining wet ingredients
Mix dry and wet until blended, a few lumps are ok
Allow to rest for 30 minutes while your waffle iron heats
Use ¼ cup measure partially filled to ladle into the center of each waffle space
Cook until golden, serve immediately, or cool on a rack and freeze and re-toast as needed.

Double Batch for Guests or extras for the freezer
1 ½ c flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 tsp bp
1tsp bs
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
up to ½ cup ground flax

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup milk
2/3 cup oil
2 lg eggs
1-½ tsp vanilla

These waffles toast up so crispy and delicious. They are a treat and quick to toast on a busy workday. Thanks, Molly!

Got an Extra Minute? An Open Letter to the Manufacturer

Dear Makers of Extra Gum,

My husband and I both chew gum after meals during the day when we aren’t able to brush. We’ve been loyal purchasers of Extra for at least 20 years.

I appreciate the updated flat packaging, but I think you are missing some opportunities to add value to the product. If someone is taking the time to read it, chances are they have an “Extra” minute, so why not make it count? Here are some ideas for the flap:

1. Things to Do with an Extra Minute

Time saving tips

Simple stretches to ease tension or improve posture

Money saving tips

Nice things to do for others or yourself

Links to worthy charities for quick click and donate programs

Traffic safety tips (Got an Extra minute? Here’s how to adjust your rear-view mirrors properly. )

Any helpful, healthy or useful things to do with 60 Extra seconds

2. Tales of Extra Effort

Very short stories about ordinary people doing the Extra-ordinary

Unexpected discoveries that took an Extra minute

3. Extra Brain Builders

Word games, brain-teasers, puzzles, optical illusions

Inspirational quotes or sentences from great novels or writers

Short poems or pieces to memorize

Brain improvement exercises

Easy puzzles with links to an Extra website with more challenging puzzles, challenges, etc.. Solve a series of puzzles or riddles to collect points and win things, like a Nintendo DS with brain games, an Xbox Kinect, or a family game night set. Consumers could come back each time they get a new pack to get a fresh set of puzzles and earn more points.

Be useful, be smart, be interesting, make the most of that minute, and add value to the product. No matter which category, include a link to more of the same, plus the other two, on a website that engages and interests. Should you decide to include them in your marketing plan, even commercials could be used to give people a brain-teaser or party-trick skill challenge. I can imagine people saying, "Wait, wait, I need to watch this Extra commercial," so that they could pick up the next clue, or stand up and challenge their TV watching partner to a one-minute skill test before the next show starts.

These ideas are just starting points, and I’m sure you’ll think of many more. I think it would be neat to bring back the fun of opening a new pack of gum, kind of like Bazooka bubble gum. You always knew you were going to get a joke, and it was usually silly, but it piqued your interest to see what it would be, and you always shared it with someone else.

Best regards,

Tamara Landre

A Cleaner Cleaner Plate Club

If you haven't checked out The Cleaner Plate Club blog ever, or in a while, now's the time to check it out again. The layout is updated, with bright-colored childlike art, and the whole site is streamlined. Looking good! I told Ali that I felt like I'd just run into a friend who lost 40 lbs and went on What Not to Wear-- except that I still like her!

Ali, in addition to being a lovely human being, is a terrific writer, and she's put together a book full of personally-tested recipes for making good food for the young people you love. Much of the posting now is done by her writing partner, Beth, whom I don't know so well, but the site is looking good, so I'm off to catch up on my reading. Definitely check it out, and the book, too, if you have a chance.

Today's Project

Besides my nifty new blog header, I also made this little postcard today from a collage I did a while back. I feel so empowered with my Epson Artisan printer/scanner! I was able to scan some sketches of chrysanthemums I'd done last week, and incorporate them into the background of the collage too. I thought I ought to have some pictures, since the last two posts were lacking images.

Pho and Gyoza

Pho has become such a comfort food for me. On a cold, rainy night like tonight, the aromatic broth soothes while the bright scents of cilantro, basil, lime and scallion lift the spirits.

I wrote this post about making a quick Pho a while back. I had devised a recipe for replicating the flavors on days when I had the craving, but not the time, nor the 3+ lbs of oxtails. But today, Mike and I used Nina Simonds Asian Noodles recipe for "Hanoi Beef Noodles" to make up a batch from scratch. Surprisingly easy, if you have the time, and so very satisfying. (This is a fantastic book to have around if you frequently crave Asian food and don't have access. The "Chinese Peanut Sauce" is addictive.)

Nina Simonds' Hanoi Beef Noodles

For the broth, put in a large stockpot:
3 and 3/4 lbs of beef shinbones or oxtails with meat and marrow
16 cups water
4 shallots, thinly sliced
6 slices fresh ginger, peeled and smashed lightly
4 stars anise
2 cinnamon sticks

Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer for 1 1/2 hours, skimming foam from the surface.

While the stock is simmering, you might as well prepare the garnish:
1/4 cup minced scallion greens
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 cup Thai or sweet basil leaves, shredded
1 thinly sliced serrano pepper if desired
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
and, optional
1/2 lb boneless beef sirloin, trimmed of fat and gristle and cut into paper-thin slices about 1-1/2" square

After the broth has simmered, strain the broth into another large pot, remove the meat from the bones and slice thinly. Skim fat from the surface of the stock.

Add
1/4 cup fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
and keep warm over low heat

Soak
6oz thin flat rice stick noodles in warm water for 15 minutes to soften. Boil for 45 seconds, rinse with warm water, drain, and divide among 4-6 soup bowls.

Add the bean sprouts and the sirloin to the hot soup, bring to a boil, and cook until the sirloin loses its pink color, 1-2 minutes. Skim the surface to remove any impurities.

Ladle the beef, bean sprouts and broth over the noodles, sprinkle with garnishes as desired, and apply lime and pepper slices to your taste. Oyster or soy sauce, and sriracha are the typical accompaniments.

Luckily for us, we had tried out another new recipe last week from Food & Wine magazine: A Lesson in Dumplings, so we had frozen gyoza, or potstickers, and lemongrass-pheasant meatballs (made from leftover potsticker filling) in the freezer to augment our sirloin-less pho. The dough could not have been simpler: 2-1/2 cups flour + 1 cup water. Check out the recipe link, and be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to make the dumplings: it's simple, but time-consuming. It would be a nice thing to do on a rainy afternoon like today. The dumplings cook just as quickly from the freezer as they do fresh, so they're always ready to go when you need them. Before you get excited about the pheasant, and think we're fancy people, I have to tell you that Mike gets it from a guy he knows at the pool, who trades us for wine when he has excess booty from his hunting trips. Thanks, Bob!

Where are the pictures, you ask? It's hard to get up on the table in my stocking feet and shoot the beautiful food when there's a hungry man waiting to eat! Sometimes I'm just not fast enough!

It's good to be back!

I (Heart) Healdsburg

Mike and I spent yesterday's sunny, blue-sky afternoon on one of my favorite drives, northward and out of the Napa Valley through sleepy Knight's and Alexander Valleys to the town of Healdsburg.

The drive takes more than an hour, longer if you stop to taste wine at one of the friendly family wineries along the way. Since Mike and I are both in the wine business, we tend to shy away from tasting rooms unless we have out of town company.

Depending on when you start your drive and from how far south, if it happens to be lunchtime when you pass through Calistoga, do not miss our number one favorite barbecue joint: Buster's BBQ. The tri-tip sandwich is the maneuver here. Definitely, positively, do NOT get the "Hot" sauce on your first visit. Or if you do, get a little side container of it to dole out or dip in as you eat, unless you are a glutton for searing, sweat-inducing, lip-throbbing pain. It IS delicious, though, with depth of flavor and tang that will impress as well as inflame.

This time of year, pink plum trees are in bloom and line the roadsides of these quiet valleys, whose stumpy, head-pruned vineyards are interspersed with yellow mustard. It feels like farm country, with old stone buildings, knoll-top farmhouses, and faded wood-barns spaced well apart among the green hills and the occasional sprinkle of goats or sheep. In one pasture, three out of four horses were sunning their round barrel bellies on the ground, making it look like an especially strong wind had come through and blown them all over.

Once in Healdsburg, head for the square. Beer-lovers, go directly to the Bear Republic Brewing Company, just off the main square. There is ample parking behind the Brewing Company in a large lot, or on the square itself. Mike and I sit at the end of the bar and drink a pint or two with lunch. The food is not extraordinary, but it's good for pub food. The beers are the star of the show here, but it's also possible to have a pretty good burger, a cup of fairly healthy and flavorful chili, or a salad, and not feel like you need to see a cardiologist immediately.

After people watching and sipping our favorite brews, we sometimes stop in to at the eclectic Erickson Gallery across the street, but yesterday we bee-lined it for one of my favorite bookstores anywhere, Levin & Company. I love to browse the big flat tables stacked with new hard-cover and paperback fiction, non-fiction, and big coffee-table design books. It's such a pleasure to book-shop with a bit of a beer-buzz going, running my fingers over the textures of the covers, letting my loosened subconscious mind lead me to my next long read. Yesterday I picked up F in Exams, a collection of funny bad answers to test questions, , and Dave Eggers' annual Best Non-Required Reading. Many cozy evenings of enjoyment to come. Someday I may read many of my books on an electronic device, but I will surely miss the smell of a book. Maybe in the future, Kindles and Nooks et all will be fitted with devices that atomize that inimitable papery smell so that we can still pretend.

Next, we stopped in at 14 Feet for an eyeful of uber-retro-chic design inspiration. Marne and her partner have an eye for furniture, fabrics and objets d'art that will make you take a second look at your storage unit. Well, only if it's crammed with well-loved mid-century and industrial furniture. I wish I could afford to buy all of my furniture from them.

Last stop on the square for the day was Flying Goat. A perfect espresso for me and a house-made chai for Mike. The art installation changes all the time.

You may wish to pick up a snack and browse the wonderfully curated collection of items at the JimTown Store. An eye for vintage treasures and a quirky, retro sense of humor and style is evident at the store. More notes here.

Ahhh, Sundays!

Ricotta Gnocchi, Part 2

The verdict: Gnocchi, delicious. Sauce, tasty, but waaaay more butter involved than was absolutely necessary. (See recipe link in previous post.)

This dish would be just as tasty with mushrooms (I used shiitake) sauteed in olive oil, rather than half a stick of butter, then the garlic and shallots.

I used frozen peas, and pre-cooked them with a quick dip in the boiling gnocchi water, but they would have been better going into the mushroom mix frozen, so that they'd be just-cooked and fresher tasting. The mushroom portion of the sauce sits while the gnocchi is browning, so keep that in mind and undercook the mushrooms by just a bit as well.

Gnocchi could be browned in a mix of half butter and half olive oil as well, making the whole dish with 1/4 of a stick of butter rather than the 1 stick called for, and I don't think it would be harmed a bit.

These light, slightly lemony gnocchi were surprisingly easy to put together, and could also be delicious sauteed as in the recipe, then served with just the fresh peas over arugula or spinach, dressed with a little lemon and olive oil, with shaved parmesan or even prosciutto, for a much lighter dish.

Ricotta Gnocchi, Part 1

Ricotta Gnocchi

3/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
Zest of one lemon
1/2 cup grated parmesan
(mixed together well)
plus
1 cup ricotta
1 egg

Mix ricotta, flour, lemon zest, salt, egg and parmesan together into a light dough that just holds together on a floured surface.


Cut into thirds and gently roll into 1" thick ropes. Chill ropes, uncovered, in refrigerator, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.


Cut ropes into half inch pieces. Roll pieces across the tines of a fork and back onto floured surface.



To cook: Drop into boiling, salted water for 1 minute, use a slotted spoon to remove. Saute in a little butter until browned.

This recipe is from Micheal Symon. Further instructions for cooking and making a brown-butter sauce at this link. I'm making a mushroom-butter sauce with peas and parmesan tonight (also from Michael Symon) which I hope to be able to photograph before it is gobbled up!

Michael's recipe does not call for the traditional fork or paddle-rolled shape, but to me, it's not gnocchi without that. It takes a bit of practice, but can easily be mastered in one batch. They don't have to be perfect!

Something Bright

I love these ranunculus (ranunculuses? ranunculi?) this time of year. So cheery and bright. And my favorite color!

Easy, Pretty, Little Lemon Pudding Cakes

I've had this recipe, from Sunset magazine, since it came out in print in 2009, and finally decided to test drive it last night for Mike for Valentine's Day. Easy and very cute.

Changes: I used four larger ramekins instead of the 6 called for. No milk, so soy milk was substituted. I dropped the raspberries in, instead of folding. I think that's it. Picture above is before fresh raspberries were added.

Raspberry Lemon Pudding Cakes

Time: 50 minutes, plus 30 minutes to cool. "This light and tangy lemon dessert satisfies my longing for lemon pie," said reader Jeanette Hennings about her original version of this recipe. We added loads of berries for a more summery take. The tender berry cake rises to the top, and the creamy lemon cake sinks to the bottom.

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Finely shredded zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 2/3 cups (12 oz.) raspberries, divided
• Powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Set 6 ramekins (2/3 cup size) in a 9- by 13-in. baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and granulated sugar until thick and creamy. Whisk in flour, butter, lemon zest and juice, and milk until blended.

3. In a deep bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until whites hold stiff, moist peaks when beater is lifted. Stir one-quarter of whites into yolk mixture until blended, then gently fold in remaining whites. Gently fold in half of raspberries.

4. Spoon batter into ramekins. Pour enough hot tap water into baking pan to come 1 in. up sides of ramekins.

5. Bake until cake layers are set and tops are golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove ramekins from water; let cool at least 30 minutes. Serve with more berries on top and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Make ahead: Chill airtight up to 1 day; pudding layer will become more distinct.

Fishing

Kelp heads bob among the rolling breakers of the foggy cove. A spiffy scenic-route-sign seagull preens on the wet sand to my right, casting furtive lunch-seeking glances my way.

Mike is standing on a medium-sized, irregular boulder to my right, which overhangs a shallow, turbulent area of the surf zone that is free of kelp. This is where he hopes the rockfish will be waiting, poised attentively on fin-tips, watching for his bait of chopped frozen squid to drop.

There is a light, cool wind and a crush and rumble of surf. The sun is casting a weak light through the scrim of fog that makes it bright enough for sunglasses.

He is still preparing his bait. Seagull still equidistant between us, in case there is food in the near future.

This little rocky cove is infinite in its possibilities. To my left, the fine lace of a dessicated leaf, left strung together by its intricate vasculature, sits amid a pile of shredded plant material: lacy, golden leaves, delicate fern-like fragments, waxy, long, narrow strips of seagrass, a sinewy tendon of kelp, wisps of feathery, Seussian moss, all captured by a softly waving hand of dried kelp whose end is lodged-- or planted-- under a rock on this sometimes submerged beach.

The sand, a mix of tiny pebbles reluctantly yielding to sand, really, is gilded and strewn with this tinsel of the land and sea. The leaves are most remarkable.

The sun may burn through to this little cove today, or it may not.

He stands patiently atop his rock, shifting his weight... Hey! He's caught a fish! A nice, big one. Looks to be a surf perch from here.

Seagull keenly observes from above, but no fish guts are on the offer this round. Mr. Perch is thrown right back in as the sky shows patches of blue through the fog. The perch are mild-flavored, fine-textured fish, pleasant enough to eat, but we have the luxury of choosing not to. Or, he was simply too small.

He prepares another baited hook and casts again, resuming his alternating stance in the saddle of the boulder.

The fog recedes further.

Crows and seagulls cross paths overhead as they commute to daytime stations. Misty clouds zoom southwards, but the distant fog seems to be growing and advancing.

After the first fish slaps back into the ocean, he and I communicate via matching baby claps to signal, "Yay! You caught a fish!" I approve with quick taps of my fingertips, "Yay!" "Mr. Fish goes free!" he claps. "Yay!" I answer. And on we go.

The wind is more gusty now, as the land behind heats and the air rises.

Reeling, reeling in... is it kelp, or nothing, or another fish? The latter. Almost looks like he caught the same one, only just a little smaller. And back in she goes.

More bait, more casting, more standing. We've been here an hour. Two fish: not bad.

I think I'd rather read a book than write one. Because, well, dialogue, for one thing. How do you make conversations purposeful, intentional, serve the end of what needs to happen, when in reality they are clumsy, haphazard, awkward and frequently pointless?

He straddles the front crest of the big rock now, for a different angle on the shallows, looking like he's riding behind the ears of a giant hunchbacked toad. He flings his lure with intent and gusto but reels it right back in and shakes his head at me.

The sea here dances with a range of blues, browns and greens, fringed with a rustle of white.

Reeling, reeling....kelp!

Each time the sun burns through the mist, the colors reveal themselves in its light. I have completely lost feeling in my rear end and also have to pee.

How was it that there was no warning of the tsunami in Indonesia? Although, to be fair, I know that when a tsunami warning was issued in Santa Cruz in college, we responded not by loading our loved ones in the car and heading for higher ground, but by filling our stomachs with beer and making for the cliffs. So it may not have helped at all.

At least one person and one dog have been here already today. The person's footsteps, still clearly impressed, a purposeful segment from one area to another, the dog's a joyful, erratic tangent of punctuation marks through the sand.