After much variable-overlay-hinge searching (they don't make them anymore), hinge spray painting, similar-in-results-size-5-wood-screw searching (they don't make them either or at least they don't have them in hardware stores anymore), much sanding (though not quite enough since there are places the paint didn't adhere as well as I'd like, aka "I will not be using Behr paint for the kitchen project" Principle), and sweating to push/screw those stupid size 6 screws into a size 5 hole with my brute force alone in some pretty tight spaces against the wall (and a manual screwdriver), we now have bathroom cabinets that feel like new! They are wonderful! I absolutely love them!

I have a newfound respect for handymen. And cabinetmakers. And kitchen/bathroom contractors.

Yesterday, Mike and I bought paint for the kitchen project. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to be approached at the hardware store by some TV remodeling show wishing to help me with my renovation project. This one is going to be a much bigger job. If all goes well, I'm looking at starting to do the sanding on Tuesday after I finish teaching yoga.

I brought a bottle of what *used to be my favorite* (Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, $17-20) before starting this monthly-wine-tasting-with-friends idea this past September and I wanted to see if I would still consider it a favorite. Know what? It's not anymore! I'd much rather have an Alsatian or German Riesling (or even Pacific Rim from California for $8, which is awesome for pairing with any and everything) or Gewurtztraminer instead now. So I'm really happy to have started out on this adventure because now I know more of what I like! I confidently order wines in restaurants and know with almost certainly whether I'll like it or not. Very cool. And, not surprisingly, after all of this experience I've racked up in the comforts of my own home, I'm very ticked off when I see the crazy wine markups for bottles of wines at restaurants. So I've effectively made it impossible for myself to order a bottle of wine while at dinner and much more likely to open my home more to have friends over to share a glass or two with them. Which is how I find myself in the situation where I'm starting a second wine tasting gathering with another group of my friends that I know from when my kids were in preschool but who I don't often see much anymore. This is just too much fun!!

The appetizers I made for this wine tasting are Grape Salsa with Goat Cheese Crostini from The Sprouted Kitchen (http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/home/2009/11/12/grape-salsa-on-goat-cheese-crostini.html) and Edamame Hummus (http://ohsheglows.com/2012/12/12/edamame-hummus/). Both were great and I plan on making them again in the future!

Next month's theme is Rieslings From Around The Globe. I seriously can't wait for this one! Then, June is Sangrias.

[The recipes are from Plenty and Burma, respectively.]

These make a fairly quick and delicious treat to bring over to a friend who's going through a difficult patch. They show love and kindness... because you're that kind of person. 

Save one or two or three for yourself because you know you deserve some love too. Eat one slowly while sitting on a porch listening to the birds sing their springtime songs.

Wrap them up in some parchment, tie it up with a pretty ribbon, and deliver to to a friend of neighbor. Then they'll know how much you care.

We need to take care of each other and spread throughtfulness.

Pass it on.

Cranberry (or Cherry) Chocolate Scones

(adapted from King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking Cookbook)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (8 3/8 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour or 2 cups whole barley flour
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1 7/8 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) dried cranberries or cherries
3/4 cup (4 1/2 ounces) chocolate chunks or chips
1 large egg
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Milk, for brushing the tops
Coarse sugar for sprinkling 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. Using a fork or pastry blender or a mixer with a paddle attachment, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the dried fruit and chocolate and stir with a fork just to mix them in. 
4. Whisk together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir lightly and quickly with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead two or three times.
6. Divide the dough in half and pat each into a circle about 1/2 inch thick and 6 inches in diameter. Cut each circle into 8 wedges.
7. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
8. Bake until the scones are puffed and golden brown, about  22-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Here's what I wrote about this recipe from Burma: River of Flavors on 101Cookbooks Library:

This was a fresh and wonderful salad that relies on a few of the staples that I've already made from this book: toasted chickpea flour, crispy shallots, and shallot oil. I left out the shallot oil because I tasted the dish before adding it and thought it tasted perfect just as it was. Besides, the sweet, crispy shallots still have that flavor and mouthfeel of the oil that they were cooked in so it helps complement the grapefruit's acid well without the additional oil called for in this recipe. What I didn't expect was how much a unique and nutty flavor the toasted chickpea flour gives to the overall dish.

Now that I know what it tastes like I can see adding it to many things to give it a bit of depth. Aside from the usual salads, soups, tartines, steamed dumplings, and more to add this powder to, I'm thinking it might make a superb popcorn topper!

The salad recipe says that it serves 4 but by my observation they mean a small portion for each person. I halved the recipe and ate it all myself in addition to some more Green Pancakes from Plenty.

Instead of supreming the grapefruits I cut the grapefruit in half as if I was going to eat half for breakfast and then used my grapefruit knife and got all of the fruit's section out. This was so much easier so if you don't like supreming citrus like me and don't mind not having the elongated fruit shape that comes with that preparation, then this is the way to go.

A blanket suggestion that Ms. Guguid makes in the book to help vegetarians with substitutions for the ubiquitous dried shrimp powder and fish sauce, used in many if not most of the recipes in this book is to use toasted chickpea flour for the former and tamari/soy sauce for the latter. I took these suggestions here and they worked wonderfully.

My suggestion is to top with some sort of green or serve on a small bed of mixed greens (sliced thinly or not, you decide). I used a few cilantro leaves atop the salad and it makes it more appealing visually. You could do the same with sprouts, pea shoots, thinly sliced lettuce, parsley.... whatever you have really.

Succulent Grapefruit Salad

adapted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by  Naomi Diguid

Ingredients

• 2 medium grapefruits
• scant 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes and drained
• 3-4 tablespoons toasted chickpea flour (see this recipe)
• 2 tablespoons fried shallots (see this recipe)
• 1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
• salt, to taste
• cilantro or other fresh green (parsley or thinly sliced lettuce), for garnish

Directions

1. Segment the grapefruit however you'd like to get the flesh free from the pith and put it in a medium bowl. If you want to supreme the grapefruit you can watch how it's done here (go to about 43 seconds in). Save any juice for another use. May I suggest drinking it right as you work?!
2. Add the shallots, toasted chickpea flour, fried shallots, tamari, and salt and toss to combine.
3. Top with cilantro leaves to garnish and then serve.

Here's what my fried shallots looked like:

Here's the toasted chickpea flour process:

The chickpea flour in a warm skillet over medium-high heat at the very beginning. (Chickpea flour is also called besan at international markets <-- much cheaper than garbanzo bean flour in the gluten-free aisle).

About 10 minutes later it takes on a tan hue.

Here's the side-by-side comparison in better lighting:

The cooled toasted chickpea flour can keep in a dry glass jar for a few months ready to sprinkle atop your kitchen creations whenever you feel the urge.

This chocolate krantz/babka is absolutely gorgeous and utterly delicious. This became an instant favorite in our home.

If you're comfortable baking bread you must bake this as soon as you can! This is the best chocolate babka to ever come out of my kitchen. I'll be using the lengthwise log-cutting technique + braid a lot in my future.

This makes two loaves and you need to start the brioche dough the night before you plan to make the bread since the dough needs an overnight ferment in the refrigerator. The dough rolls out wonderfully... What a pleasure to work with.

These are also better the day after baking or at least until the loaves have had a chance to fully absorb the sugar syrup (making it a great make-ahead item for a brunch or dessert to bring to a friend's house).

The dough one the morning we baked.

Ingredient round-up.

Spreading the filling.

The key to the beautiful ribbons of chocolate is the lengthwise slicing.

Gorgeous striations:

Into the pans they go to rise for 60-90 minutes.

The little scraps that get trimmed off of each end sprinkled with some ground almonds and chocolate.

Chocolate Krantz Cakes (aka Chocolate Babka)

from Jerusalem: A Cookbook​ by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Headnote from the authors:

Making a krantz isn’t easy or quick (see pictures on pages 283 and 286–87). You need to let the dough rise overnight and then fill and shape it, which is quite an elaborate process. But, and it is a big but, we were guaranteed by two of our recipe testers, Claudine and Alison, that it is well worth it!

Although this recipe makes two fairly large cakes, there isn’t really any risk of anything going to waste. They are just the sort of thing everyone hurls themselves at as soon as they come out of the oven. They will also keep for up to two days at room temperature, wrapped in foil, and up to a couple of weeks when frozen.

For a fabulous alternative to the chocolate filling, brush each dough half with 6 tbsp / 80 g melted unsalted butter and then sprinkle with 1⁄2 cup / 120 g light muscovado sugar, 1 1⁄2 tbsp ground cinnamon, and scant 1⁄2 cup / 50 g coarsely chopped walnuts; then roll as described in the chocolate version. 

Ingredients

For the dough

• 4 cups / 530 g all- purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 cup / 100 g superfine sugar
• 2 teaspoons fast-rising active dry yeast
• grated zest of 1 small lemon
• 3 extra-large free-range eggs
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml water rounded 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3cup / 150 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 3/4-inch / 2cm cubes
• sunflower oil, for greasing

For the chocolate filling

• scant 1/2 cup / 50 g confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup / 30 g best-quality cocoa powder
• 4 oz / 130 g good-quality dark chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup / 120 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup / 100 g pecans, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp superfine sugar

For the sugar syrup (enough for both cakes)

• 2/3 cup / 160 ml water
• 1 1/4 cups / 260 g superfine sugar

​

Directions

1. For the dough, place the flour, sugar, yeast, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and water and mix on low speed for a few seconds, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes, until the dough comes together. Add the salt and then start adding the butter, a few cubes at a time, mixing until it is incorporated into the dough. Continue mixing for about 10 minutes on medium speed, until the dough is completely smooth, elastic, and shiny. During the mixing, you will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times and throw a small amount of flour onto the sides so that all of the dough leaves them.
2. Place the dough in a large bowl brushed with sunflower oil, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge for at least half a day, preferably overnight.
3. Grease two 21⁄4-lb / 1kg loaf pans (9 by 4 inches / 23 by 10 cm) with some sunflower oil and line the bottom of each pan with a piece of waxed paper. Divide the dough in half and keep one-half covered in the fridge.
4. Make the filling by mixing together the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, and butter. You will get a spreadable paste. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring 15 by 11 inches (38 by 28 cm). Trim the sides to make them even, then position the dough so that a long side is closest to you. Use an offset spatula to spread half the chocolate mixture over the rectangle, leaving a 3⁄4-inch / 2cm border all around. Sprinkle half the pecans on top of the chocolate, then sprinkle over half the superfine sugar.
5. Brush a little bit of water along the long end farthest away from you. Use both hands to roll up the rectangle like a roulade, starting from the long side that is closest to you and ending at the other long end. Press to seal the dampened end onto the roulade and then use both hands to even out the roll into a perfect thick cigar. Rest the cigar on its seam.
6. Trim about 3⁄4 inch / 2 cm off both ends of the roulade with a serrated knife. Now use the knife to gently cut the roll into half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam. You are essentially dividing the log into two long even halves, with the layers of dough and filling visible along the length of both halves. With the cut sides facing up, gently press together one end of each half, and then lift the right half over the left half. Repeat this process, but this time lift the left half over the right, to create a simple, two-pronged plait. Gently squeeze together the other ends so that you are left with the two halves, intertwined, showing the filling on top. Carefully lift the cake into a loaf pan. Cover the pan with a wet tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 to 11⁄2 hours. The cake will rise by 10 to 20 percent. Repeat the whole process to make the second cake.
7. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C, making sure you allow plenty of time for it to heat fully before the cakes have finished rising. Remove the tea towels, place the cakes on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. While the cakes are in the oven, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and leave to cool down. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, brush all of the syrup over them. It is important to use up all the syrup. Leave the cakes until they are just warm, then remove them from the pans and let cool completely before serving.  

The potatoes are cooked in a lot of oil. I normally shy away from recipes with this much oil, even though the potatoes don't absorb it all. I tried it this time for the sake of authenticity and it was sublime. I'd like to make this again and will opt to try cooking the potatoes in vegetable broth until tender instead and add a few tablespoons of oil only at the end when it's time to put the egg in with the potatoes and onions.

Tortilla de Patata

From World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs potato, peeled and sliced as thin as possible
• 1/2 small onion, thickly sliced
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup olive oil
• Pinch of dried oregano
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Arrange the potato and onion slices in the bottom of a 10 inch skillet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt on top. Add the oil and on medium heat, bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.


2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining salt, pepper, oregano and water.


3. Pour out the oil into a container and remove the potato slices and onion to a plate. Strain oil and reserve for later use.


4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved oil into an 8-inch nonstick skillet set to medium heat. Pour the eggs in, reduce heat to low and add the potato slices and onion on top. Cook on medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes until the top is just set. (I covered it to help the top set,)


5. Place a plate on top and flip the cake onto the plate. Slide it back into the skillet and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes. Flip over onto serving dish. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with the Classic Romesco Sauce.

Classic Romesco Sauce

Adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, peeled but left whole
• 8 to 10 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 large very ripe tomatoes or a 28-ounce calf fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
• 3 dried ancho chilies
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 5 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt

Directions

Turn on the broiler (i used my toaster oven). Spread the onions garlic, and tomatoes on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.

Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning the onions, garlic, and tomatoes as the outsides char. The garlic will get done first. Remove the garlic cloves and continue for another 10 minutes or so until the onions and tomatoes are also browned on all sides. Remove the tomatoes at this stage.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the onions for 25 to 35 minutes, or until they have softened all the way to the inside. Meanwhile, remove the stems and seeds of the ancho chilies by cutting the tops off and shaking out as many seeds as possible. During the last 2-3 minutes, add the almonds to toast with the oven ingredients until golden brown. Set aside to cool, then grind the almonds to a fine powder in a clean spice grinder.

Put the chilies in a small pot along with the vinegar and 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until all the chiles are soft. Turn the heat off. Let the ancho mixture sit, covered, for another 5 minutes, or until the peppers are very soft. Cool slightly in the liquid. If you don't have a high power blender you'll want to remove the skin. If you have a BlendTec or Vitamix then don't worry about it... all will be blitzed to smoothness in the magic machine. Remove any seeds that are still clinging to the flesh.

When the onions are very tender, remove them from the oven and discard the charred outer layer. Chop them coarsely. Peel the garlic cloves.

Put the ancho-tomato mixture, onions, garlic, ground almonds, oil, leftover vinegar, if any, and salt into a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.