art and lemons

risotto

2010-03-14T00:00:00.003-05:00

Still wearing pajamas, I locked myself out of the house today. That was around three o’clock in the afternoon. What can I say, the day started early and I never got around to getting dressed. I made two quarts of homemade yogurt and a pot of risotto, took almost two hundred photographs, and wrote ten sentences.

I looked through the rain streaked windows on the front porch. The houses across the street were damp and quiet and the push of cars uphill had slowed. I ran around the house through the mud in leopard print slippers and hoped that no one caught a pair of hot pink penguin pants running around the yellow bungalow on the corner.

As it turned out, the back door was unlocked. I removed my slippers and walked into the kitchen. Into the smells of roasted squash, homemade vegetable stock, and sweet stewed pears where I forgot all about the mud and the pajamas and the shower less morning(s).

Risotto turned this dark rain-soaked Sunday into a warm bowl of summer. Arborio rice simmered in dry white wine, caramelized onions, and homemade vegetable broth made with ginger, parsnips, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, cilantro, parsley, and black peppercorns with a light sprinkle of salt. When the rice was cooked, roasted kabocha squash, stewed pears, blue and Parmesan cheeses transformed the plain white risotto, which on its own is a thing of beauty, into salty sweet comfort.

The 2010 March Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

Risotto Base

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion (quatered)
1 3/4 cups risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo, or Vialone Nano)
4 tablespoons white wine (I used 1/2 cup of dry white wine)
4 cups homemade vegetable stock (simmering)

1. Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Fry for a few minutes to flavour the oil then discard. (We diced ours and left it in as we like onion).
2. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly.
3. Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated.
4. Add enough stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width (about an inch or two). Don't actually stick your finger in, it will be hot. Just eye it off.
5. Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed.
6. Repeat Step 5 making sure to leave aside approximately 1/2 cup of stock for the final step.
7. Repeat, save 1/2 cup for the final stage.
8. Once you are at this point, the base is made. You now get to add your own variation.

Pumpkin Risotto

7 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled and cut into small cubes)
3/4 cup pumpkin (I used 1 1/2 cups roasted and pureed kabocha squash)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (I used 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan)
(2-4 ounces artisan blue cheese, to taste)
(2 ripe pears, stewed in wine and water)
sea salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Melt half the butter in a saucepan. Add roasted kabocha, stewed pears, thyme, and salt. Cook on low until flavors are combined. Add salt to taste. Set aside.
2. Make the base up until the end of step 8.
3. Stir through the kabocha squash mixture.
4. Add the final 1/2 cup of stock and the remaining butter and stir until both are completely absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan and blue cheeses then salt to taste. Cover with a lid and let it sit for a few minutes.

carrot cake with lemon cream

2010-03-09T14:00:00.007-05:00

I'm one of those people who love a good salad. I always have.

Even in winter.

Take me to dinner, and it's almost a sure thing that I'll order a salad as my meal.

It's more than silly since I eat so much salad at home. When fattoush salad or a roasted beet and goat cheese salad with maple balsamic vinaigrette is on the menu, salad is a sure thing.

As for a fresh well-stocked salad bar, just throw in the towel because I surrender.

This past winter, even with the abundance of fresh salad greens in our house, I haven't made a salad but a few times. In fact, I've wanted anything but salad.

Roasted squashes, thick hearty vegetable soups, and grilled Reuben sandwiches have kept me warm during these almost saladless cold months.

I decide to break the no salad streak today. I have to. We have three heads of green leafy lettuce, one small bag of mixed baby greens, and a few cups of arugula.

I mix a little of each green in a bowl with a homemade miso ginger dressing and top them off with shredded carrots. I finish the bowl out of obligation, but the carrots are what get me to the last forkful.

Carrots coated with dots of miso and ginger.

As a reward for breaking my salad less days, I'm baking a carrot cake inspired by my recent salad covered in a bed of carrots and ginger dressing.

For the cake, I toned down the ginger and add extra grated carrots along with coconut: milk, butter, and flakes. The cake is sweetened with honey, maple syrup, and dates and for a soft crunch, cashews. It's more like tea bread than traditional carrot cake that is often cloying in its sugar load.

This cake is a perfect balance of sweet and healthy, and I like to smother it with a light lemon cream. While the lemon cream does call for tofu and vegan cream cheese, I have to tell you, it doesn't taste the slightest bit like soybeans. The flavors of honey, maple syrup, and lemons shine through the tofu cream base.

Now for another slice, I did finish my salad, after all.

Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream
(printable recipe)
Yield 2-layer 9-inch cake (12-cup capacity), 8 to 10 servings

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil or unsalted butter (melted)
1 cup coconut milk or buttermilk
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 1/2 cups grated carrots
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dates (pitted and chopped)
1 cup cashews (coarsely chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the melted coconut oil, coconut milk, honey, maple syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice and zest; beat together at medium speed. Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and beat at low speed until well combined. Add the carrots, coconut, dates, and cashews, beating at low speed until just combined.

Divide the batter into two well-oiled and lightly floured, 9-inch cake pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire wracks. Top individual pieces with lemon cream or your favorite frosting and serve.

Lemon Cream
Yield about 3 1/4 cups

1 (12.3 ounce) package firm Silken tofu
8 ounces cream cheese (I use dairy-free Vegan Gourmet Cream Cheese)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until creamy smooth. Refrigerate until an hour before serving.

kasha

2010-03-07T09:00:00.020-05:00

I have to tell you, I'm in a rut. A grain rut.

I cook so many pots of rice that I have a cupboard stocked with recipe inspiring grains. Jared and wholly ignored.

So the other day, when I removed the brown basmati rice jar from the shelf, I actually thought about it for a moment. Do I really want another bowl of rice and vegetables for dinner.

Really?

Kind of, but then I noticed the jars of oats (rolled and steel-cut), amaranth, millet, couscous, cracked wheat, barley, and kasha. The kasha, little brown and green triangular fruit seeds, caught my eye. It's often considered to be a grain, but it's actually a fruit seed of a rhubarb relative that has been roasted.

When I scooped the kasha from the bulk bin into the paper bag, I planned to bring it home and grind it to make buckwheat flour for crepes. With all the rice making, this didn't happen. While raw buckwheat is mild, roasted buckwheat is robust with toasted nutty flavors. It's also gluten-free and high in essential amino acids, calcium, vitamin E, and B vitamins.

Just the sort of pick me up I needed.

So, I forgot about the rice and cooked a pot of kasha with roasted sweet potatoes, red onions, green peas, and then made a ginger miso sauce. The colors in this recipe are bright: orange, red, green, and brown and so are the flavors: sweet, sour, nutty, and warm.

It may not be your typical Oscar night fare, but it's a sure winner, a bit understated perhaps but entirely worthy of praise and dinner.

Kasha and Vegetables with Ginger Miso Sauce
(printable recipe)
Yield 4 servings

for the Kasha and Vegetables:

2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice)

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 large red onion (chopped)

1 cup toasted kasha (roasted buckwheat groats)

2 cups water

2 tablespoons fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped)

1 cup peas (frozen)

for the Ginger Miso Sauce:
adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre

1/4 cup miso

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped)

garnish: brown rice vinegar and black sesame seeds

for the Ginger Miso Sauce: Combine all ingredients and whisk together in a small bowl. Set aside.

for the Kasha and Vegetables: Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread the sweet potatoes on the tray and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and roast until tender, about 25 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the kasha. Add the water and ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the kasha is cooked, about 15 minutes.

Add the peas, roasted sweet potatoes, and miso sauce. Stir gently to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and brown rice vinegar to taste. Serve warm.

(This recipe is inspired by Robin Robertson's recipe for "Kasha with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Peas" found in 1,000 Vegan Recipes).

tiramisu

2010-02-27T14:30:00.004-05:00

As I write this it's white outside, snow white. The dark tree trunks and limbs peer through powder their powdery layers.

I am reminded of an André Kertész (1894-1985) photograph of snow in Washington Square, New York. The one angled from a building above with people and trees and seats and fences looping through a spacious snowy landscape below. It's nothing like the tangle of trees above. But, when I close my eyes, I see Kertész's image, poetry in black and white.

Washington Square, 1954, André Kertész

[T]he moment always dictates in my work....Everybody can look, but they don't necessarily see....I see a situation and I know that it's right. – André Kertész

Kertész was a Hungarian-born photographer known for establishing the photo essay and for his sweeping epic photographic compositions. He is celebrated for contributions to both fine art photography and photojournalism in his extended study of Washington Park from the 1930s.

While the scene outside my window differs from that of 1930s New York, it's breathtaking nonetheless. Especially paired with cake. For breakfast.

This isn't the first time I'm eating cake first thing in the morning. Before coffee or tea even. It is, however, my first my first bite of vegan tiramisu. I'm in awe of how good it is and by good I mean really good. I'll just have a taste I think, and after gazing out the window dreamily lost in the Kertesz scene before me, I eat half the bowl. Coffee and breakfast all in one, move over doughnuts, it's time for cake.

Any biscuit dipped in a bath of sweetened brandy espresso and set to steep overnight in layers of tofu cream will be eaten in a matter of seconds in this house. Maybe I had low expectations to start with, eliminate egg yolks and homemade mascarpone cream from a dessert, and what's left: tofu, soy milk, almonds, lemon zest, vanilla, sugar, brandy, and espresso.

The real question is whether or not said alternative ingredients can hold up to the rich cream and yolk that add depth to this cake. As a it turns out, they come close. Dangerously close.

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

This tiramisu challenge required the following five components for the cake:

ladyfingers/savoiardi biscuits

mascarpone cheese

zabaglione

vanilla pastry cream

vanilla soy whipped cream

I used Bryanna Grogin's recipes from her vegan tiramisu to make the ladyfingers/savoiardi biscuits and the tofu-almond mascarpone. For the ladyfingers, I piped the "Ladyfinger Cake" recipe and dusted them with sugar twice (according to the challenge recipe). I also substituted almonds for cashews in the tofu-cashew mascarpone and used brandy and espresso for the alcohol and coffee. I followed the challenge recipes (see recipes below for substitutions) to make the zabaglione, vanilla pastry cream, and the whipped cream.

TIRAMISU

(Recipe source: Carminantonio's Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007)
This recipe makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks (substitution: mix 3 teaspoons EnerG egg replacer powder with 2 tablespoons warm water)
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk (substitution: mix 1 1/2 teaspoons EnerG egg replacer powder with 2 tablespoons warm water)
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk (substitution: soy milk)

For the whipped cream (for soy whipped topping, place all ingredients in blender and process until mixture turns into fluffy mounds):
1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%) (substitution: soy milk)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar (substitution: 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract (substitution: 1 teaspoon vanilla)

(substitution: 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)

To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar
1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese (substitute tofu-almond mascarpone)
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:
For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Working quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.
Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.
Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

MASCARPONE CHEESE

(Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese

Ingredients:
474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.
It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar,

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

NOTES/ TIPS:

1. If you cannot find Marsala, port wine is considered a good substitute.
2. If you would rather not use alcohol in your tiramisu due to diet restrictions or because you want to serve it to children, you may replace the Marsala with an equal amount of espresso or coffee.
3. Many people, especially those who are not excessively fond of coffee, might find brewed espresso very strong. In this case, please feel free to dilute the espresso or coffee to the desired strength.
4. It is generally suggested that cream with 25% fat is best for making mascarpone, but 36% works just as well.
5. We both used lime juice. Deeba has a recipe for mascarpone posted on her blog here.
6. The mascarpone recipe below is for approximately 340gms of mascarpone. The tiramisu recipe requires only 1/3 cup/75gms so you may scale down the recipe to requirement or put the extra mascarpone cheese to other equally good use. (100gms cream will yield approximately 75gms mascarpone)
7. While using the double boiler to make the mascarpone as well as the zabaglione, always ensure that the bottom of the bowl on top doesn't touch the bottom of the lower one. It is important to use a stainless steel bowl to pour your cream into, while making the mascarpone.
8. Ladyfinger batter is very fragile so fold in the flour and yolks very carefully into the meringue so that the whites don't lose their volume.
9. It might be a good idea to decide the size of the dish in which you intend to set the dessert, and make the fingers to a size which would fit that dish. This makes it easier when assembling the tiramisu later. Do remember that ladyfingers/ savioardi puff up a little while baking.
Ladyfinger biscuits may be stored up to a week in an airtight container. We both made the savoiardi fingers 4-5 days in advance, and stored them in an airtight box in a cool place (or the refrigerator).
10. We both made the zabaglione & pastry cream the previous day, and assembled the tiramisu the next morning. I (Aparna) then froze my tiramisu for 7 days before decorating and serving it.
Placing the bowl (in which cream is to be whipped) and the beaters of the hand held electric mixer in the fridge for about 1/2 to 1 hour before hand makes the cream whip up very well.
11. Do not dip the ladyfinger/ savoiardi into the coffee solution for more than ONE second, or they might become very fragile & disintegrate. Extra soaking is likely to spoil the end product, making it soggy. I (Aparna) dipped my biscuits only on one side and found they soaked up more than enough coffee solution.
12. If you would like to de-mould your tiramisu from your dish (cutting can be easier and neater this way, you can line your dish with plastic wrap (leaving a little extra on the sides of the dish) and then start assembling your tiramisu. Once the tiramisu sets in the refrigerator, you can use the overhang to pull the tiramisu out of the dish.

RECIPE SOURCE:

Mascarpone Cheese – Vera’s Recipe (Baking Obsession) for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese.
Savoiardi/ Ladyfinger Biscuits – Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home
Tiramisu – Carminantonio's Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007

Love Soup

2010-02-27T00:00:00.003-05:00

Read my latest cookbook review, Love Soup: 160 All-New Recipes from the Author of The Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas, published in The Daring Kitchen.

Mythic Pizza Dough

2010-02-25T18:26:00.007-05:00

A week or so ago, I found an unforgettable recipe for pizzettas (little pizzas). The crust, when perfectly baked, is edible gold with enough spring and chew beneath a thin but lustful crispness. As far as pizza goes, I enjoy a slice or two now and then, but homemade pizza sprinkled with crumbly blue cheese, ripe pears, walnuts, fresh thyme and chives, is something truly meant for the gods, or more specifically Bacchus (known as the god of fruitfulness, wine, and intoxication in Roman mythology). I think he would also dig into a pizza topped with butternut squash, blue cheese, gruyere cheese, garlic, and fried sage leaves with equal abandon.

Bacchus, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1595

I set to work making the dough. This was before I checked the kitchen supply for blue or gruyere cheese, pears, and chives, none of which were available, except for the walnuts stashed away in the freezer and the package of fresh thyme hidden inside the cheese drawer.

Right in the middle of kneading, I decided to save the blue cheese versions for another time and to use whatever vegetables, fruit, and cheese on hand.

Found pizza toppings:

eight ounces plain goat cheese

a hunk of Parmesan cheese

meltable vegan mozzarella cheese (for my son, L, who is lactose intolerant)

three red onions

two cooked sweet potatoes

three roasted red beets (sliced and bathed in olive oil, salt, and pepper)

a bunch of swiss chard

pure maple syrup

one sauteed celery root

one jonagold apple

fresh thyme

one lemon

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

turned into four pizzettas seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon or balsamic vinegar:

goat cheese, apple, celery root, and thyme pizzetta

beet, swiss chard, walnut, and goat cheese pizzetta (tossed in a maple syrup vinaigrette)

sweet potato and vegan mozzarella pizzetta (for L)

caramelized red onion and parmesan cheese pizzetta

The least unadorned caramelized onion and cheese, was the favorite by far. I think Bacchus would still approve, if nothing else, he could pick off all the toppings and sop the crust in a glass of wine.

What's in your refrigerator right now that could top this mythic pizza dough?

Mythic Pizza Dough

(printable recipe)

adapted from Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials: An Insider's Guide to Buying and Serving Cheese by Laura Werlin

Yield dough for 4 pizzettas

1 packet (.25-ounce) dry active yeast

1 tablespoon cane sugar

1 1/4 cups soy milk

3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

To make the dough, Oil a large bowl; set aside. Fit a stand mixer with a dough hook. Place the yeast and sugar in the mixing bowl. Heat the milk just until it begins to feel warm (it should feel like warm bath water). Add the milk to the yeast mixture, stir, and let proof until very foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups flour, salt, and oil, and mix until the dough forms a very loose ball around the hook, about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not too sticky. If necessary, add more flour until the dough is a little tighter, keeping in mind that you want to do this slowly so that the dough does not get tough. It should form around the hook loosely with about 3/4 of the dough wrapped around the hook and the rest on the bottom of the bowl.

Knead the dough in the mixer for 5 minutes. Transfer tot he prepared bowl. Turn the dough to coat with oil and cover with plastic wrap or a thin towel. Let rise for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper sprinkle liberally with flour. Punch the dough down and divide it into four 8-ounce balls. Place the balls of dough on the baking sheet, wrap in plastic wrap, and let proof in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

(If you don't plan to use the dough at once, you can freeze the balls of dough after you shape them. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator to thaw and rise).

To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 500 F. Put a pizza stone in the oven if you have one or use a baking sheet.

Roll each ball of dough into an 8-inch round. Lay them on a baking sheet or floured baking peel. Distribute your favorite toppings evenly on each round. Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil.

If using a pizza stone and baking peel: Put the pizzettas on the peel and slide them onto the pizza stone. Cook for 8 minutes or until the dough is golden and the cheese begins to look creamy.

If you are not using a stone and peel, put the pizzettas on a baking sheet but cook them about 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve right away.

mezze at home

2010-02-14T14:18:00.009-05:00

In the middle of the week, I made mezze (read "mez-ay") featuring Mediterranean flavors for the February Daring Cooks' Challenge. Mezze is a variety of small dishes served together.

While making hummus and pita bread were the only challenge requirements, I made lemon hummus, pita bread, and falafel. I bought all the ingredients to make cucumber raita, tabouli, and baklava, but I ran out of time. So, I'm saving them for the next mezze, which I hope will be soon.

The 2010 February Daring Cooks' challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

Pita Bread

adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook

2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)

Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.
5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.

Hummus

adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden

Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.

1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) OR use peanut butter or any other nut butter—feel free to experiment) (1.5 ounces/45 grams)
additional flavorings (optional) I would use about 1/3 cup or a few ounces to start, and add more to taste

Directions:
1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Falafel

adapted from Joan Nathan and Epicurious.com

Prep Time: Overnight for dry beans and 1 hour to make Falafels

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight OR use well canned drained chickpeas (7 ounces/100 grams)
1/2 large onion (roughly chopped, about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped OR use a couple pinches of dried parsley (.2 ounces/5 grams)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped OR use a couple pinches of dried cilantro (.2 ounces/5 grams)
1 teaspoon table salt (.1 ounce/5 grams)
1 teaspoon dried hot red peppers (cayenne) (.1 ounce/2 grams)
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon cumin (.1 ounce/2 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder (.13 ounces/4 grams)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (1 ounce/24 grams) (you may need a bit extra)
tasteless oil for frying (vegetable, canola, peanut, soybean, etc.), you will need enough so that the oil is three inches deep in whatever pan you are using for frying

Directions:
1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, and then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed. If you don’t have a food processor, then feel free to mash this up as smooth as possible by hand.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees (190C) in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
6. Drain on paper towels.

Note: I sometimes prefer to bake these so I can avoid the deep frying. I bake them on a nonstick pad (silpat or the like) at 325F (160C), just until they’re firm, about 20 minutes.

for Dorothy

2010-02-14T13:04:00.008-05:00

I'm not sure what to say.

It's Valentine's Day and D and I only remembered this an hour ago after we returned from taking L to the emergency room. Yesterday, after a funeral and family gathering, L hurt his arm. We weren't sure if he fractured or sprained his elbow or wrist so we brought him to the hospital this morning. After a few x-rays, we're still not sure. Some liquid showed up, which means we have to wait another day to see how he moves his arm.

So, we left the hospital and went for smoothies. On our way back to D's grandmother's house, L fell asleep in the car.

"Happy Valentine's Day," I said.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot – with everything going on," he said.

"I know, it's been a tough week."

Really, it has. On Tuesday evening, we received a call from D's mother about his 91 year-old grandmother. His grandmother's health began to fail over the weekend. She wasn't eating or drinking much and her pain level was great enough to require morphine. We planned on driving the three-hour trip to see her early Thursday morning. But, on Wednesday afternoon as a snow storm began, we changed our mind and within an hour or so we packed and drove north.

We arrived at his grandmother's house at 8:30 pm Wednesday night. His grandmother was asleep when we arrived. A mysterious cat came to the back door earlier that morning and cried until the back door opened as if it had always lived in grandmother's farmhouse and therefore always slept in grandmother's bed, which is where he lay when I walked into her bedroom. We held her hand and said goodbye in the hopes that it would not be our last.

She passed away around 2:30 am. We sat with her in room after we woke up a few hours later. The closet door was open. A soft light shown across her face. Grandmother looked calm and peaceful and free from so much suffering from the days, months, and years before.

I didn't plan on telling you about this. Then again, I had to. Hold her. In love. With us. And you.

Top Secret Chocolate Mousse

2010-02-09T14:51:00.004-05:00

I seem to be stuck in the 1980's lately. Last month, I made Nanaimo Bars inspired by new wave (Modern English's I Melt with You), chocolate, and movies (Valley Girl). Today, it's Top Secret! and chocolate mousse. Just in time for Valentine's Day.

I flip through a few recipes for little chocolate desserts like pots de creme, chocolate custard, chocolate tartlets, chocolate tortes, and chocolate mousse. Somehow it's chocolate mousse that I cannot stop thinking about, which puzzles me. It's not something I've ordered for a decade or two and until today, I've never made it from scratch.

There was a period of my youth when dining out meant ordering a Shirley Temple with extra cherries, shrimp cocktail, vegetable tempura, or a plate of brie and fruit as a starter, followed by a salad with hunks of bacon, chopped boiled eggs, strands of yellow cheese, and matchbook size croutons for dinner along with dinner rolls, and finally at the very end, a small teacup of chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream.

A quintessential 1984 spread also brings to mind the movie Top Secret!, an over the top comedy about Nick Rivers, a 1950's rock 'n roll star (think Buddy Holly or Elvis Presley) who goes on a music tour in Germany, falls in love with the heroine Hillary Flammond at a performance in East Germany, and then signs up with the French Resistance and joins the fight against world-wide Nazi domination.

In this hilarious scene Nick meets Resistance member Chocolate Mousse:

[Introducing his men]
Du Quois: This is Chevalier, Montage, Detente, Avant Garde, and Deja Vu.
Deja Vu: Haven't we met before?
Nick Rivers: I don't think so.
Du Quois: Over there, Croissant, Souffle, Escargot, and Chocolate Mousse.

To celebrate this Valentine's Day, I'm combining zany excess with rich chocolate mousse served with brandy black currant whipped cream. It's a bit boozy and naughty so I recommend skipping dinner and going straight to dessert.

What's your favorite movie inspired dessert recipe?

Top Secret Chocolate Mousse with Spiked Chantilly Cream

(printable recipe)

adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts by Lindsey Remolif Shere

Yield 3 cups

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons brandy

2 tablespoons water

4 eggs

1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

Chop the bittersweet chocolate into small pieces. Melt the chocolate, brandy, and water in a double broiler (I use a medium size metal mixing bowl over a small heavy saucepan filled with hot water and set over medium heat), stirring constantly, until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat. Separate the eggs, put the egg whites in a medium size heat proof bowl and the yolks in any small bowl.

Whisk the egg yolks one by one into the chocolate mixture until well mixed. Cut the butter in pieces and whisk until smooth. Set the chocolate over hot water, if necessary, to help the butter melt. Warm the egg whites slightly over the hot water and beat them until they hold soft peaks. Fold them quickly into the slightly warm chocolate mixture. Pour into serving bowls or glasses and chill. Serve with a few dollops of Spiked Chantilly Cream.

Spiked Chantilly Cream

adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts by Lindsey Remolif Shere

Yield about 2 cups

1 cups of whipping cream

1 tablespoon brandy

1/2 tablespoon sweetened black currant juice

1 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl with a whisk, whip the cream into soft mounds until the volume doubles in size and the cream barely holds its shape. Stir in the brandy, black currant juice, sugar, and vanilla. Serve on top of the Top Secret Chocolate Mousse or chill until ready to use.

Serving Up Platefulls of Art, an interview with Megan Fizell

2010-02-03T15:26:00.024-05:00

Photographer Megan Fizell cooks up bite-sized art history lessons and recipes for her blog Feasting on Art. She serves up an irresistible blend of classic art, food, and photographs each week. One look at Cezanne's Cherry and Nectarine Clafoutis inspired by Paul Cezanne's Still Life with Plate of Cherries and you'll be hooked.

A&L: Hi Megan. Your blog Feasting On Art combines art, food, and photography. Can you tell us how you started this blog and how it has grown over time?

MF: I conceptualised Feasting on Art while living in London. I assumed there was already a cookbook that detailed recipes inspired by art and I was shocked when I couldn't find one. Connecting food and art seemed so natural and I decided to test the response to my idea through a blog once I fully relocated to Sydney. Via the collaborative element introduced in October, I hope to turn the blog into a space that fosters dialogue about both food and art. I am currently working on a few proposals so hopefully Feasting on Art will be in a few new places in the future.

A&L: Do you remember when you first started to pay attention to art and photography?

MF: I had a wonderful French teacher at school that used to incorporate art into our language lessons. Due to this exposure I began to study fine art during my final year which prompted me to enroll in an Art History course during my first semester of university. From that point on I never looked back and devoted all of my studies towards all forms of art.

My father studied photography at school and growing up I used to spend time with him in his darkroom and was completely mesmorised by the images appearing as if by magic. From these early experiences I have always had an interest in the medium.

A&L: Why are still-life paintings so important?

MF: I love still life paintings because they are so much more than a simple picture of a couple of apples. Often they are saturated with iconographic meaning and in the past were used to depict nationalistic pride. With food and cultural identity so closely intertwined the appearance of food throughout visual history is not surprising.

A&L: How would you describe your photographic style?

MF: Focus on light, clean lines, and symmetry. I work with a small depth of field setting to place the focus on the most important part of the composition.

A&L: Who are your favorite photographers and artists?

Images provided by Megan Fizell.

MF: My favorite photographers are Aya Brackett, Marian Drew, Martin Parr, and André Kertész. Artists would have to be Edouard Manet, Frida Kahlo, and the paper cutting art of Peter Callesen.

A&L: Name three things that are always in your refrigerator.

MF: Seeded mustard, Byron Bay Green Jalapeno Chilli Sauce with Coriander, and dill pickles.

A&L: Tell us about when you lived in London and grew interested in food and cooking.

London Market, Megan Fizell, photos displayed with artist's permission.

MF: My love of food is thanks to my wonderful roommate Cassie. She was always experimenting in the kitchen and I found myself wanting to learn. It helped that London has amazing restaurants and markets - I was a regular on Brick Lane haggling prices and negotiating free bottles of wine. I would give anything for a really delicious pot of clotted cream, the dairy here in Australia doesn't compare.

A&L: What is your favorite music to listen to while cooking?

MF: I listen to a lot of jazz - Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald during meals but while cooking I usually have an episode of the Splendid Table on in the background.

A&L: You work part-time as a gallery associate in Sydney, run your own freelance photography business, Tres Jolie Studios, and publish a blog. Was it hard to learn the rules of business, while working, and blogging at the same time?

MF: I find that I struggle with balancing my time the most. More often than not, I spend more of my day than I would like in front of a computer, especially since I recently increased my hours at the gallery. I have to make a point to not blog or spend the evening focusing on my business and instead enjoy the beautiful Sydney summer.

A&L: Can you describe your typical day?

MF: I walk to work and spend the majority of my day working at the gallery hanging art, working on the website, and photographing new paintings. Depending on the weather I will either make a quick dinner and work on my own projects, researching and writing for Feasting on Art or processing images for Tres Jolie Studios, or head out for dinner with my partner and a quick walk down by the beach. At this point in my life I find that I never have enough hours in my day!

A&L: What is your favorite Feasting On Art recipe and why?

Enchiladas, Megan Fizell, photos displayed with artist's permission.

MF: I had a hard time deciding my favorite recipe from Feasting on Art. It was between the coconut milk ice cream (inspired by my favourite Frida Kahlo painting) and chipotle chicken enchiladas. I finally decided on the enchiladas simply because it is the only recipe I have made more than once - it is my favorite winter dish and although I tend to add a bit too much chili, it is always disappears very quickly when I make it for friends.

{Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas}
serves 4-5 people

3TB vegetable oil
1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Mexican chili spice
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 c frozen corn
5 jalapeno chilies (pickled)
4 chipotle chilies
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp flour
10 flour tortillas
1 1/2 c enchilada sauce (recipe below)
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
coriander/lime/sour cream to serve

Set oven to 350F. Saute onion and garlic in a large pan. Once soft, add corn and chilies. Stir well and add the canned tomatoes and spices. Shred the rotisserie chicken and add to the saute pan. Dust with flour to help thicken and set.

Coat the bottom of the baking pan with 1/5 of the enchilada sauce. Pour 1/2 of the remaining sauce onto a large plate and dip each tortilla in the sauce coating both sides. Fill each tortilla with the chicken and vegetables from the saute pan. Roll the tortilla around the filling and place in the baking pan seam side down. Repeat with the remaining 9 tortillas until the baking pan is full.

Pour the reserved enchilada sauce as well as the remaining sauce from the plate over the rolled tortillas. Top with the shredded cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until the entire dish is heated through and the cheese is toasted.

Serve with coriander, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and sour cream.

{Enchilada Sauce}

3 TB hot chili powder (use only 2 if you are sensitive to very spicy food)
3 TB flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp oregano
3 c water
1 can crushed tomatoes

Add all of the ingredients to a large sauce pan. Whisk to remove any lumps and cook until it has reduced by 1/3. This is a very spicy sauce, substitute with mild chili powder to reduce the heat while maintaining the flavour.

A&L: How do you come up with new content for each blog post?

MF: Each post is slightly different. Sometimes I find a painting that I really love and want to learn more about or I will find a really interesting ingredient at the market and then look for a painting to research. Each post has a slightly different beginning but I have begun to focus on intertwining ideas of sweet and savory - peppercorn ice cream, strawberry BBQ sauce, and Parmesan shortbread.

A&L: What book is on your bedside table right now?

34-365, Megan Fizell, photos displayed with artist's permission.

MF: ‘The Art of Eating’ by MFK Fisher and the cookbook ‘Flavouring with Mustard.’

A&L: Tell us about your greatest adventure.

Mexico City, Megan Fizell, photos displayed with artist's permission.

MF: In 2006 I travelled to Mexico City to study art during winter break at university. We criss-crossed the city visiting Rivera's murals and Kahlo's home and studio. Between climbing the ancient pyramids at Teotihuacan and walking down the Calle de los Muertos (Street of the Dead) I had my very first taste of mole poblano and countless tacos out of the street-side shopping carts.

You can see more of Megan's work at Feasting on Art and Tres Jolie Studios.

chocolate, love, and superpowers

2010-01-27T12:28:00.011-05:00

A dark square of chocolate makes me weak, drop to the floor weak. Melt a square on your tongue, and well, you know what I'm talking about.

As the chocolate dissolves, the world ceases to exist, it's locked in some kind of chocolate freeze frame, maybe even a chocolate nirvana. Time becomes irrelevant, thoughts float away, and you are left with nothing but pure sweet cocoa, it's a bit like having a temporary superpower, only better, because you don't have to fight any supervillains in order to enjoy said powers.

Then again, chocolate is layered in complexity, it's also like the 80's new wave song by Modern English, I Melt With You. Yeah, it melts on the surface but underneath that first layer, chocolate is love and rebellion, like the song. It's the love that stills time and shouts it's us-against-you, world and we gonna fight to stay on top.

Chocolate also means movies and impossible crushes, like going to the movies with your best friend to watch Valley Girl for who knows how many times and you both swoon over Randy (Nicolas Cage) with a bucket of popcorn, a bag of sugar coated chocolates, and two cokes between you and you are convinced this is what love is about.

Lucky for us, our choices in love, chocolate, and superpowers do improve with time.

Which brings me to this month's chocolaty Daring Bakers' challenge, nanaimo bars, named after the Canadian city. Nanaimo bars require no superpower abilities, however they do call for two layers of melted chocolate and one layer of vanilla custard. Super indeed.

I made a lighter version of the original recipe which calls for granulated sugar, butter, cream, and milk by and used maple syrup, coconut oil, and coconut milk. Sweet, but not tooth-achingly sweet. This recipe for homemade gluten-free graham crackers is one for the archives, especially when paired with chocolate.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

For Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
recipe from Lauren of Celiac Teen who adapted it from 101 Cookbooks

1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars
recipe from Lauren of Celiac Teen

For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

the shopkeeper

2010-01-24T18:00:00.006-05:00

On a sultry July day, the shopkeeper lounges in front of his antique shop. A wide brim straw hat masks his shiny scalp from the sun. He rests his denim clad legs and bare feet over a chair. He sips black turkish coffee and reads the Daily Gazette. His dog, a pale golden lab, sleeps nearby in the shade.

The shopkeeper and his dog stretch mid-morning. They cross the road to a grassy field, narrowly avoiding the tangle of cars speeding by. Through the field and uphill, the two walk until they reach the top and disappear down the other side.

The sign on the shop reads, Be back in thirty.

On their return trip, the shopkeeper pulls a torn baguette, a wedge of Camembert cheese, and three medallions of salami from his pocket. He tosses the salami to his dog as they sit on the edge of the brook running through the base of the field.

A customer waits outside the shop door. She taps her foot, thirty-five minutes pass. When the shopkeeper and his dog return to find the woman outside he unlocks the door, removes the note from the door, and greets the woman.

"Nice day, isn't it," he says, "hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Right, never mind all that, just let me in," she says, "I'm looking for a particular painting. A rare and stolen painting taken from a museum in Zurich two years ago. Maybe you've seen the painting in question, Van Gogh's Blossoming Chestnut Branches? It's been missing for two years. A little absurd that such a treasure could end up here, I know. Why would you have a Van Gogh for sale in this little shack out in the middle of nowhere? Well, I'll tell you why. It was traced ... "

Her voice trails off as if she can't be bothered to explain herself further. She brushes past the shopkeeper and his dog, in near collision.

"I can't say that I've seen a Van Gogh," he says, "outside of a museum I mean. Care for a cup of tea?"

"Tea," she hisses, "really, I can't be bothered with such frivolity at a time like this. The world is coming unglued and I don't think tea is the answer."

The woman puts on a pair of gloves and sorts through a stack of modern paintings.

Inside his standing room only shop is a tidy homage to silver, porcelain, paper, and glass. The narrow aisles are barely hip-width, yet with all the history stored in postcard sized space, it is spotless. Not a speck of dust to be traced with a white glove. The clocks, spoons, books, paintings, maps, and furnishings are densely packed in an architecture of display.

The shopkeeper takes a seat on a narrow bench next to a towering stack of yellow newspapers. He straightens the stack then walks over to the record player and carefully places the needle on and plays Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings.

"Listen," she says, "I'm sorry if I'm being a little brusque. My reputation's on the line and I must find this painting."

She hands the shopkeeper her business card.

Cassandra Templeton

Art Recovery Specialist

16 East 81st Street

New York, New York 10001

212.ART.4YOU

"Mr. Renard, I'll be in touch," she says.

"Please, it's Jean-Louis," he says.

She hurries outside closes the shop door, he walks over to the painting centered on the back wall and nudges it a hare right, just until the sun lights up the citrus colored branches.

The food art of Laura Miner, an interview

2010-01-15T11:56:00.015-05:00

After I discovered Boston-based artist Laura Miner on Eat Me Daily’s web site, I had to learn more about the artist behind the camera.

Dyatlov Pass Incident, 2008, Laura Miner, photos displayed with artist's permission.

For art and food lovers, Miner offers a haunting visual and emotional twist on food art. Her close-up photographs of food stills and landscapes ask us to view the act of eating in new and often unsettling ways.

Snowball, 2009, Laura Miner, photos displayed with artist's permission.

In her 2009 series, Viscid (meaning glutinous/sticky), Miner photographed pre-packaged sweets, like Twinkies and Snowballs that have become lunch box staples for American youth and adults alike.

Twinkie, 2009, Laura Miner, photos displayed with artist's permission.

Twinkie is a moody photograph. It’s also set in fantasy, one where the yellow snack cake was victimized and left to rot. Straight pins pierce the yellow charred looking flesh; the cream breaks through the skin.

Jelly (1 of 3), 2009, Laura Miner, photos displayed with artist's permission.

The viewer falls prey to both seduction and disgust when viewing Miner’s mangled snack cake images and her war torn food landscapes. Either way, she stirs unexpected emotions in her photographs.

Blackrain or Nagasaki, 2008, Laura Miner, photos displayed with artist's permission.

Nedelin Disaster, 2008, Laura Miner, photos displayed with artist's permission.

A&L: Describe the first photograph or piece of art you made? When was that?

LM: The first photograph I remember taking was in 2002. I was a freshman in high school taking a color photography class at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design). We were just taking pictures of things we brought in. I brought a plastic magnolia flower. The classroom didn't appeal to me as a background, so I photographed the flower inside a blue plastic bag. The photograph is dreamy. The light filtering through the bag makes everything look soft. It's like a flower underwater. It sounds really dramatic for a first photograph, but my instinct has never been to document reality.

A&L: Who and what have inspired you as an artist?

LM: In the beginning I was definitely channeling my past. I used to make dollhouses out of boxes and shelf tops at my grandma and grandpa's house. While I played I always wished that I were small enough to fit in the worlds I made. Later, when I started photography, I learned very quickly that I could make worlds that only existed in the photograph. Through that I could express my imagination better than I ever could. David Levinthal was a huge influence. His train set figurines in film noir settings were the exact combination of childhood imagination mixed with darkness that I was going for. Levinthal's work influenced my set building, love of macro photography, and tendency to use a shallow depth of field.

A&L: When and why did you start photographing food?

LM: I didn't consciously photograph food until my junior year of college. However, I have been photographing food since I was 15. In one of my first photography classes in high school I photographed cut peaches in black and white. It really repulsed my classmates. This definitely inspired me to use photography as an emotional tool, and food just fell into my work over the years. When I was a junior at Massachusetts College of Art and Design I took a bright and colorful photograph of a raw steak on 70's era foil wallpaper. My teachers and peers got really excited about the colors and textures in the photograph. I realized how much people could enjoy and hate certain foods, and decided that it would be a good thing to really investigate my relationship to food and photography. That is when I started my Food Landscapes, which included scenes made completely out of food items describing alien landscapes as well as the settings for horrifying real life events.

A&L: What do you think of David Lynch’s food sculpture photos like Clayhead with cheesy turkey and ants? I see some similarity in your food landscapes to his art.

LM: This is really embarrassing, but I have not seen those and could not find them on the Internet. I love David Lynch. I see similar tones in his films as I do in Levinthal's photographs. Lynch's films have been a strong influence on my interest in bizarre, sexual, and violent subject matter. I like how he can take something as squeaky clean as suburbia and make it disturbing. My work relates to his in this way. I take something as innocent as Twinkies, and I give them a dark existence.

A&L: Who are your photographic influences?

LM: Like I said earlier David Levinthal and David Lynch were huge influences. Ana Gaskell, Cindy Sherman, and Laurie Simmons also inspire me. Photographers, who make their work by playing and pretending, or staging such acts, really appeal to me. I like to think that I am doing something similar with my work. I also enjoy Uta Barth's photographs of "backgrounds". Her work really makes you think about what a photograph is as an object and a plane of existence.

A&L: How do you feel your work compares to your contemporaries?

LM: The kind of work I saw amongst my classmates at Mass Art (photography and other mediums) very often revolved around childhood memories. I think my contemporaries are fixated on understanding their past and the psychology behind it all. I know that I am concerned with the psychology behind food, and I keep returning to my childhood by building imagined environments.

A&L: What other subjects aside from food fascinate you?

LM: Serial killers. Even though I am extremely sensitive to blood and gore, the psychology behind heinous acts is really fascinating to me. In the same realm of interest, some of my food landscapes were based on tragic incidents that happened during the cold war. The Dyatlov Pass Incident and the Nedelin Disaster were my favorites. I am driven to mix food and violence. Maybe this is because I want the viewer to see something they allow into their bodies in a negative context, or as the embodiment of a negative occurrence. However, people also think my work is more beautiful than repulsive. My photographs walk a very thin line.

A&L: What camera(s) do you shoot with or is it project specific?

LM: I use a monorail 4 x 5 camera most of the time, but I have been known to use a digital slr or 35mm. My Food Landscapes, and the Viscid series were done with my 4x5. Currently I am working with 35mm.

A&L: Can you describe your photographic process? How long does it take for you to shoot one of your food landscape or food art images? How do you set-up your food landscapes?

LM: I try to photograph within a few hours because of the delicate nature of the food I use. However, some of the food landscapes sat around for a few days before I photographed them. I would plan out to a very small degree which food I would use. I always found something that appealed to me and bought it, and used it whenever I needed it.

On a table, with some plastic wrap and whatever I could get a hold of to prop it all up, I placed down some food, looked through the camera, and added more as I felt fit. From there the landscapes formed. Mold found its way into some of my work, but unfortunately the food began to stink faster than it molded. I also froze some of the food. It was important for images like Dyatlov Pass Incident to appear as cold as the Ural Mountains. Images for that section of the series tended to be more planned, less improvisational.

With the Viscid series I had a plan from the beginning about which snack cakes to use and what kind of environment they would be in. I bought a good portion of my supplies at once. It would take me a day to photograph one scene. I spread dirt out on a table, arranged the plastic plants, set down my cake of choice and start thinking about what I could do to accentuate its properties and appear ravaged. Then I would set up my camera, and explore the terrain, find the best angles, and dramatic lighting.

A&L: What’s next?

LM: I want to make more sculptures in conjunction with my photography. I have been working with epoxy resin and snack cakes so far. It would be great to go further with that. Otherwise, I think I'm going to stay on the sweeter end of the food spectrum with my subject matter.

To contact Miner or to discover more of her work, check out her web site.

my flux capacitor

2010-01-14T11:45:00.006-05:00

If I travel back in time with a flux capacitor (in Back to the Future style), I would set the dial to September 8, 2007, our honeymoon in Wellington, New Zealand.

First, I would visit the Satay Kitchen in downtown Wellington, a restaurant tucked inside an alleyway of shops. D and I arrived there through a series of hilarious misadventures, all leading back to a plateful of day-glow yellow vegetable curry and spicy peanut sauce.

We flew from Auckland to Wellington that morning. It was a short flight, just under an hour. At the airport, we found a shuttle to drive us to the cheapest youth hostel listed in the Lonely Planet guide.

"Where to," the driver asked.

"The hostel on the hill," I said, "it's listed in the Lonely Planet."

I waved the book in the air. He peered at me through the rear view mirror.

"Are you sure that's where you want to go," he asked.

"Oh, yes," I said.

"I mean, wouldn't you rather stay at the International hostel. It's in the center of the city and the museum is right across the street," he said.

"No, the one on the hill will be fine," I said, "the reviews say it's great for the price."

He dropped us at the hostel. We checked into a room with bunk beds. The shared bathroom facilities were down the hall from our room. This was our honeymoon after all and adventure was at the top of my list.

The room was on the second floor. It possessed a particular aroma, one that had been curing for years in the low pile carpet, curtains, mattresses, and linens. A ghastly combination of mold, mildew, and sweat.

"I think we need a little air," I said.

I opened the window looking over the fire escape. D and I sat on the edge.

"Maybe incense would help," he said.

A plaque next to the door read "Absolutely no smoking or lighting candles or matches under any circumstances."

We dropped our bags and left to find a smoke shop. We bought a box of Nag Champa incense and a lighter. Before we left the store, I asked the clerk if he knew of any good Thai or Malaysian restaurants. He gave us directions to The Satay Kitchen, singing it's praises of brilliant and fast food as if he were at a pulpit made of glass and inside it held hand-blown glass pipes and ceramic cigarettes.

We thanked him and ate the best satay I've ever eaten, curried vegetables and rice in a bath of spicy peanut sauce before we returned to the hostel.

We lit a stick of incense with an open window, feeling like two teenagers lighting up behind the football stadium on a Saturday night. Smoke swirled in the air and drifted out to the city.

We sat on the ledge and after several minutes looked at each other and in unison said, "Let's get out of here."

We booked a ferry reservation for Picton on the south island, scheduled to leave later that evening and checked out. The clerk at the desk stared at us in amazement when we told her we couldn't stay due to the stench in the room.

"Allergies," I explained, "I'm allergic to mold and dust."

In hindsight, I think it was more about having a honeymoon adventure, you know bunk beds can be romantic too, than it was about saving a few dollars on a night in the city.

The January 2010 DC Challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day.

For my challenge, I substituted tofu for pork and made the peanut sauce for dipping. The satay was good enough to make me want to build my own DeLorean time machine equipped with a flux capacitor to travel back in time, although it simply cannot compare to The Satay Kitchen's fare.

Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce

Satay Marinade

1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 T ginger root, chopped (optional) (2 cm cubed)
2 T lemon juice (1 oz or 30 mls)
1 T soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp ground coriander (5 mls)
1 tsp ground cumin (5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (2-2.5 mls)
2 T vegetable oil (or peanut or olive oil) (30 mls)
1 pound of tofu

Feeling the need to make it more Thai? Try adding a dragon chili, an extra tablespoon of ginger root, and 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz or 15 mls) of fish sauce. (I keep some premature (still green) dragon chili peppers in the freezer for just such an occasion.)

Directions:
1a. Cheater alert: If you have a food processor or blender, dump in everything except the tofu and blend until smooth. Lacking a food processor, I prefer to chop my onions, garlic and ginger really fine then mix it all together in a medium to large bowl.
2a. Cut pork into 1 inch strips.
3a. Cover pork with marinade. You can place the pork into a bowl, cover/seal and chill, or place the whole lot of it into a ziplock bag, seal and chill.

Faster (cheaper!) marinade:

2 T vegetable oil (or peanut or olive oil) (1 oz or 30 mls)
2 T lemon juice (1 oz or 30 mls)
1 T soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp ginger powder (5 mls)
1 tsp garlic powder (5 mls)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (5 mls)

Directions:
1b. Mix well.
2b. Cut tofu into 1 inch thick strips (2-2.5 cm thick), any length.
3b. Cover tofu with marinade. You can place the tofu into a bowl, cover/seal and chill, or place the whole lot of it into a ziplock bag, seal and chill.

Cooking Directions (continued):

4. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak your skewers in warm water for at least 20 minutes before preparing skewers.
5. Gently and slowly slide meat strips onto skewers. Discard leftover marinade.*
6. Broil or grill at 290°C/550° F (or pan fry on medium-high) for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to char. Flip and cook another 8-10 minutes.

* If you’re grilling or broiling, you could definitely brush once with extra marinade when you flip the skewers.

Peanut Sauce

3/4 cup coconut milk (6 oz or 180 mls)
4 Tbsp peanut butter (2 oz or 60 mls)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp brown sugar (5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (2.5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground coriander (2.5 mls)
1-2 dried red chilies, chopped (keep the seeds for heat)

1. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add soy sauce and lemon, mix well.
2. Over low heat, combine coconut milk, peanut butter and your soy-lemon-seasoning mix. Mix well, stir often.
3. All you’re doing is melting the peanut butter, so make your peanut sauce after you’ve made everything else in your meal, or make ahead of time and reheat.

Pepper Dip (optional)

4 Tbsp soy sauce (2 oz or 60 mls)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp brown sugar (5 mls)
1-2 dried red chilies, chopped (keep the seeds for heat)
1 finely chopped green onion (scallion)

Mix well. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Tamarind Dip (optional)

4 Tbsp tamarind paste (helpful link below) (2 oz or 60 mls)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 finely chopped green onion (scallion)
1 tsp brown or white sugar, or to taste (about 5 mls)

Mix well. Serve chilled or room temperature.

a new year

2010-01-04T10:00:00.012-05:00

"Happy New Year," I say.

A woman in her young sixties hunches over a speared shovel in the middle of a her driveway, almost out of breath. She wears a heavy overcoat, sweat pants, and snow boots.

Several inches of ice break into small chunks ready for a cocktail glass to toast the new year. Except she doesn't look to be in a salutatory kind of mood.

The axe strikes the ice and scatters more chips. She looks up to acknowledge me.

"Yeah, right, if I live through it," she says.

Arctic air blows across her face. She wraps her hands around the handle and continues breaking into the frozen past.

I think about the potato leek tart cooling on the kitchen table.

Warm goat cheese, Parmesan, purple potatoes, and leeks tossed in a parsley puree.

Maybe I'll invite her over for dinner – sharing a meal and conversation may change her mind.

p.s. What's your favorite meal or recipe to celebrate the new year . . . please feel free to share in the comments section.

Potato Leek Tart with Parsley Puree and Goat Cheese

(printable recipe)

Yield 6 to 8 servings

1 (9-inch) prebaked Tart Shell (see recipe below)

3 medium prebaked potatoes, yellow or purple, cut into thin rounds

6 small to medium leeks, cut into thin rounds

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 ounces goat cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1/2 cup creme fraiche

1/2 cup milk (whole or low-fat)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup parsley puree (see recipe below)

2 teaspoons fresh parsley leaves (chopped)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Keep the prebaked tart shell on its baking tray.

Slice the leeks and prebaked potatoes into thin rounds and place them in a bowl of cold water to remove dirt. Strain.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet, add the leeks and potatoes and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss the leek and potato mixture in a medium bowl with cup of parsley puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Beat the goat cheese with the egg until smooth, then stir in the milk, creme fraiche, pinch of salt, and black pepper. Grate the Parmesan cheese onto the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the custard over the cheese and bake until the custard is golden and set in the middle, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle parsley leaves on top. Remove the tart from the pan and transfer to a plate. Serve warm.

Parsley Puree

Yield about 1 cup

2 cups parsley leaves (thin stems are okay), rinsed and dried

sea salt

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Set aside.

Savory Tart Shell

1 1/4 cups white spelt flour

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in small chunks

up to 1/4 cup ice water (as needed)

Blend the flour and salt in a mixer with a paddle attachment or in a food processor, then add the butter just until the the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough water for the dough to come together, then shape it into a disk and wrap with plastic. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 10-inch circle and place it on top of a 9-inch tart pan with removable rim. Shape the dough into the edges, the dough should stand about 1/4 inch above the rim and is about 1/4 inch thick. Prick the bottom with a fork 6 times, then freeze for 20 minutes.

While the tart dough rests in the freezer, preheat the oven to 425 F. Save left over dough to patch the tart shell.

Place the frozen tart shell on a baking tray and bake until it's light in color, about 25 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and deflate any swollen pockets of dough with a prick from the tip of a knife. Remove the tart from the oven when ready, mend any holes by gently pressing in small pieces of left over dough. Cool on a wire rack and set aside.

(This recipe is inspired by Deborah Madison's "Savory Goat Cheese Tart with Leeks" found in her book Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets).

resolution

2009-12-31T07:48:00.005-05:00

For the month of December, I am participating in Gwen Bell's The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge. The challenge is to respond to a daily writing/photo prompt that reflects on this past year. Oh, and if you want to join me I would love to hear your stories and memories, leave a comment or a link to your site.

12/31: Resolution you wish you'd stuck with.

The 365 Project. One photo per day for an entire year.

Tomorrow, I'm starting over.

the martyr(s)

2009-12-30T12:05:00.011-05:00

12/30: Ad. What advertisement made you think this year?

Museo del Fumetto (Italian Comics Museum) won a 2009 Silver CLIO Award for its collection of comics in a print advertising campaign. Three well-known paintings by Italian artist Andrea Mantegna and French artist Jacques-Louis David were used in the comic strips.

St. Sebastian – The Shot

"Saint Sebastian was a Christian saint and martyr from Milan, who is said to have been killed during the Roman emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians, in the year 288. Andrea Mantegna’s painting, The Martydom of St Sebastian, one of three on the same subject, can be found in the Louvre. With the addition of an apple and a new title, the painting becomes a comic." – The Inspiration Room

The Waking Up

"Andrea Mantegna’s painting, The Lamentation over the Dead Christ, showed the crucified body of Jesus laid out on a marble slab, with mourners on the left. The new version adds an alarm clock, and removes the nail holes and the mourners." – The Inspiration Room

The Bill

"The Death of Marat (La Mort de Marat) is a 1793 painting by Jacques-Louis David referring to the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, killed in his bathtub during the French Revolution by Charlotte Corday. David painted his friend shortly after his death on July 13, 1793. The note in the painting has been transformed into a room service bill." – The Inspiration Room

in the city

2009-12-29T12:32:00.006-05:00

from 12/6: Workshop or conference.

October 2009. BlogHer Food. San Francisco.

movie date

2009-12-29T11:49:00.006-05:00

from 12/5: Night out.

In August, D and I have an afternoon movie date. We're in Falmouth on Cape Cod and we're running late.

Over the last 19 months, we have a total of five dates, and only on one of those dates do we go out to see a movie.

We need to improve our numbers here, seriously.

Julie and Julia starts in 30 minutes. We say goodbye to L and race to get there on time.

Our directions are missing so we navigate from half forgotten turns and landmarks. We stop at a country store. A guy stands outside the store. He is unshaven and wears a large black overcoat. In his right hand, he clutches a brown paper sack.

"Oh, you missed your turn," he says, "take a left outta the parking lot and it's straight off the highway about 5 miles down the road. It's on the left. You can't miss it."

The trailers start. We stand in line behind five women who decide to see a later show and want a refund. There is only one attendant. The guy in front of us jokes that we're all going to miss the movies by the time these ladies make up their minds.

The film rolls for 10 minutes before we find some of the last seats in the front row. Our necks crane back. D slips his hand around mine. For the next two hours, we are alone in a crowd of strangers.

I can't think of another place I'd rather be.

remember when we use to

2009-12-29T11:13:00.007-05:00

12/29: Laugh.

With a toddler around, we laugh countless times every day.

L and I sit in his rocking chair reading a book before sleep. I read the book while he turns the pages. After one read-through, L flips through the pages and reads to me.

Lately, he cracks jokes while reading. I pause to let him tell the story. He turns a page then studies the illustration. He sews the words and pictures together.

There is something about an owl, rabbit, and flowers that turns into a low belly laugh. He continues with the story – apple, bear, and soup. Another belly laugh. The rabbit tips a watering can over.

L waves his finger in the air like a single windshield wiper and says, "No, no, no."

I cannot contain myself. Tears stream down my face as I laugh until my sides hurt.

This is a moment to remember.

a book for dreams

2009-12-28T19:08:00.004-05:00

from 12/4: Book. What book – fiction or non – touched you?

The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber. This book is an epicurean memoir about Abu-Jaber's life split between American and Jordanian cultures. I highly recommend it, the images are tangle in my dreams.

a story to share

2009-12-28T09:48:00.003-05:00

from 12/3: Article. What's an article that you read that blew you away?

Francis Lam's piece for Gourmet: "A New York -to-Mississippi Minute: Layover in Atlanta Edition." During a layover in the Atlanta airport with three hours to kill, he remembers hearing about a cafe for African cab drivers and asks around for directions without any leads until he meets a man who sells stuffed animals and is from Senegal.

The story begins and ends with food but at the center of it is an intimate conversation that develops between two strangers. Food brings them together.

My favorite turn in the story comes when Elhadji talks about sharing his wife's dibi (grilled lamb) in the break room. Lam lingers over Elhadji's words. "When you share you are happy." I let those words sit for a moment. I liked them.

Lam's voice is clear and present in each sentence.

I return to this story and his words often.

breakfast at Elmer's

2009-12-28T09:47:00.003-05:00

from 12/2: Restaurant moment.

It's a rainy May morning. It's also my birthday.

D and L take me out for breakfast at my favorite spot, Elmer's Store, a restaurant and country store stocked with artisan crafts and foods made and grown locally.

Elmer's serves heaping platefuls of farm-style food. Even though I can't finish a full serving of The Mount Saint Elmer's (two scrambled eggs with cheese, homefries, veg sausage, and three-seed toast with raspberry jam) no matter how hard I try, I order it every time.

We sit at a table near the front door. Six other tables are seated nearby. The conversations rise and fall between forkfuls of food.

L eats half of the homefries off my plate and I sneak a piece or two of his pancake. He waves to a woman seated next to us and they sign and laugh with each other. The server comes by to drop off the check. L tugs on her shirt. She takes his hand and he's lost in another conversation.

I pack up my leftovers, already anticipating my next birthday breakfast.

thank you notes

2009-12-28T09:34:00.004-05:00

12/28: Stationery. What was your stationery find of the year?

Eucalyptus letterpress thank you notes.

a network, us

2009-12-27T20:07:00.002-05:00

12/27: Social web moment.

I signed up for Twitter and Facebook accounts this year.

Why did I resist for so long – it's good to share, some things – right? . . .