In the Kitchen

The Presentation of a Meal

January 28, 2014

i grew up in a house where the presentation of a meal was just as important as the meal itself.
i don’t remember ever a bottle of ketchup or dressing on our dinner table. my mom would squeeze condiments into etched glass bowls with tiny silver spoons. we would make fun of her and i admit to sometimes being embarrassed when friends came to visit.
when chris and i first started dating he pulled me aside one night after dinner and said “your mom doesn’t have to make things so fancy just for me every time.” i didn’t have the heart to tell him at first that this was just the way things were.
little did he know what he was getting himself in to.

i am not sure if it was ingrained in me or if it’s in my blood, but i too love to present a meal.
i sometimes think i like it better than cooking. i love the process of it and the mood it sets.

tonight was salad bar night, a meal that we all love and with a little creativity, can satisfy everyone’s taste buds in our household. it’s a simple meal actually, that can pack a punch with proteins such as sunflower seeds, hard boiled eggs, chopped up bacon and feta cheese to compliment the greens and other veggies. fruits such as sliced up apple or pear, pomegranate seeds and grapes are favorite toppings as well. i like to experiment with making a new and different dressing each time. tonight’s was cilantro-jalapeno-lime. i toasted up some pita and served it with some olive oil for dipping. there are so many variations to this meal especially as the seasons change. it’s a great “clean out the fridge” kind of meal where all sorts of left-overs can act as toppings.

i feel lucky that my girls have always liked a variety of vegetables. but i think their love was born out of the freedom and fun to create their own salads. chris always says “you don’t make a sandwich, you build one!” well i believe this speaks true for a salad too.

no matter what i am preparing for dinner, even if it’s a pan of scrambled eggs, i like to follow a few simple guidelines ….

:: before i pull anything out of the fridge, start chopping or mixing, i light a few candles and turn on some music. i love our local jazz station. i pour myself something special, i deserve it. tonight was a glass of red wine. but even a glass of seltzer with a squeeze of lemon is nice.

:: i don’t believe that your best china, glassware, linens and silverware are meant for dinner parties and guests. beautiful things are meant for every day. sometimes sitting at a table with a thoughtful presentation of your favorite things can enhance the flavors of meal. a beautifully set table can feed my soul just as much as the food can satisfy my appetite.

:: although the table where we sit down to meals is used for many other activities, i try to always keep it clean and free of debris as much as possible. this allows to easily set it for each meal.

:: fresh flowers on the table at all times is a must for me. whether it be a store bought bouquet or a bundle of weeds from the backyard, it sets a mood and creates a sacred space.

:: cloth napkins make me happy. they are pretty and can brighten up a table. they can be used over and over and come in all different patterns and colors. i am always on the look out for them while thrifting. it’s nice to have several sets to use throughout the week.

:: even though we are not religious folk we do like to say a few words of appreciation before we dig in. a prayer, refection or even a moment of silence before a meal is a nice way to connect with each other, your home and the food that was prepared.

::digest! i used to be one to eat and run. i would immediately begin to clear the table and clean up after a meal. what’s the rush? sit and linger i say! pour a pot of hot herbal tea and continue the conversation.

Soup

January 23, 2014

So let’s talk soup!
We eat a lot of it in the winter months and I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite meals.
I even eat it for breakfast.

I love the versatility of soup. I am not a rule follower and usually never refer to a recipe when making anything except baked goods.
I think that’s why i like soup so much. It’s a simple meal that allows for some creativity but there are no strict rules. Soup is pretty hard to get wrong. Especially if you follow a few simple guidelines.

I usually cook a whole chicken in the crock-pot once a week at this time of year. It provides us several meals including stock for soup. After we pick the meat off we immediately throw all of the bones and excess into a pot and cover with water to boil and then simmer for a few hours. We then strain the golden juice into a jar for the next batch of soup. Although I often use store bought chicken broth, there is nothing like homemade. It’s like liquid gold in any soup.

If you have a good quality broth, olive oil, onions, garlic and a few vegetables (especially those stragglers in the fridge that are a little past their prime) you are ready to make some soup!

a few simple soup tips…

:: Always have onions and garlic in the pantry. All other veggies can vary but these two will really enhance the flavors of the other veggies you use especially when sauteed all together in olive oil or butter.
:: Clean out your fridge. Yes, you can use rubbery carrots, limp parsnips and wilty greens. When cooked up with other ingredients they will still taste good. Soup is a great way to reduce waste in your kitchen.
:: Experiment with herbs and spices. I admit to being a curry-aholic and make a lot of curry based soups but there are so many herbs to choose from. Don’t be afraid to use fresh herbs too, especially sprinkled on top of individual bowls of soup. I love fresh chopped parsley or cilantro.
:: Condiments can add flavor. Things like ketchup, sriracha, worcestershire and soy sauce have made their way into many of my soups.
:: Tomato sauce, tomato paste and canned tomatoes are a soups best friend.
:: Add greens. Swiss chard, kale, collards, bok choy, spinach, turnip greens…. they all taste great in soup. I always have a sad looking bunch of greens sitting in my fridge that can quickly be rescued in to soup.
:: Broth heavy in roots and squashes can be pureed into a creamy flavorful soup. Save the last few cups of the batch and freeze to add to your next soup’s broth to provide a rich texture and flavor.
:: Boost your broth with a Parmesan rind. It will add substantial flavor to your soup.
:: If not adding meats to your soup, add lentils or beans for a boost of protein. Lentils can be directly added to simmering broth and other ingredients. Other hardier beans will need to be cooked ahead of time.
:: Taste, sip, sample while you cook. I am a big supporter of adding ingredients and then tasting. There is nothing more disappointing than making a meal without tasting as you go along to find that the is just too salty or spicy. Although there are a few tips to reverse these mistakes I still recommend getting out a spoon and sipping as you go.
:: If you have a husband like me who doesn’t accept soup as a meal unless bread is involved, try other alternatives to store bought. Homemade biscuits or cornbread are really simple to whip up and with a nice hunk of cheese you have a complete meal.

Next week I will offer a step by step guide to my weekly soup.

Lemon Bread

January 9, 2014

in the last few days i have been baking quite a bit. i think it’s my way to stay warm with these extremely cold temps we have been having.

i baked poppyseed cake and gingersnaps on monday and yesterday i baked a lemon bread for craft circle.

this recipe comes from my aunt patty and is very lemony and moist with a lemon/sugary glaze.
this bread has been made for many a shower, party and event and is perfect with tea.

i had not made it in a few years and after being gifted some lemons from a friend’s backyard tree in louisiana i immediately thought of this favorite.

aunt patty’s lemon bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 rind lemon
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

preheat oven to 350 degrees
cream butter and sugar together. add eggs, milk and lemon rind.
sift together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
add nuts.
pour in to greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

while bread bakes make a glaze of 1/2 cup sugar and juice of 1 lemon.

while bread is still warm, pop out of pan and spoon glaze over.

enjoy!

Gift Making

December 15, 2013

the making has begun.
this year we are giving handmade lip balms and hand salves. perfect for this bitter cold weather.
today we will start to make cookie doughs to freeze and then bake at the end of next week. i love this recipe.
we will also make chocolate covered apricots. this week.
hannah coaxed me into giving her the socks i was knitting for her a few weeks early so her toes could be toasty warm with all of the sledding that’s been happening here.
today is hannah’s last nutcracker performance. she has worked so hard and danced so beautifully.
i never tire of watching it over and over.
yet it will be nice to have a bit of a break from it all for the next few weeks.

Lemon Meringue Pie

September 29, 2013

the annual harvest fest at the farm took place today.
it was beautiful day and we had a great turnout.

one of the highlights of the event every year is the pie bake off.
hannah and norah both wanted to enter a pie this year.
they wanted to try something totally new and something that would knock the socks off of the judges.
they paged through our martha stewart pies and tarts cookbook and decided on a mile high lemon meringue pie.

after a long day of setting up for the event i admit i was in no mood to bake especially something i had never made before. but the girls kept persisting and so i gave in.
we turned on some music and began to squeeze some lemons.
hannah kept asking me “isn’t this fun mom?”
when we pulled the finished pie out of the broiler with it’s browned peaks of meringue it was a proud moment.

our pie did not win the contest but none of us seemed to mind.
making the pie was a prize in itself.
and it was pretty darn tasty too!

turns out it really was fun, hannah.

Pickles

July 22, 2013

it was a little bit cooler yesterday and so we canned some pickles.
the kitchen got a bit steamy but it was worth it.
afterwards we headed to my sisters pool for a swim and some barbequed chicken.

Summer has been good to us

July 21, 2013

it’s been hot and humid which makes me grumpy.
i wish i had more tolerance for the heat.
you would think that i would have accepted by now that summer is just hot around these parts.

i have not been out in the garden much, although it is looking happy thanks to all of the rain we have had.
we have been eating lots of tomato sandwiches, smoothies, homemade popsicles, watermelon and snack bar food at swim meets. i don’t think i have turned the stove on in almost a week. thank goodness for the food processor.
we have been going for either a late night swim or taking an ice cold shower just before bed each night to cool down.

but aside from all of that, summer has been good to us. really good.

:: chris makes a few jars of sun tea every other day in old pickle jars.

:: harry is adjusting beautifully and goes where ever we go. his breed is known for adapting well to an active family. he plays hard and sleeps hard like all of us.

:: earl still continues to stop by for a few nuts. i saw him playing with two other squirrels this morning, circling the big maple tree in my neighbor’s yard.

:: today we make pickles from an overabundant crop of cucumbers. i harvested loads of dill flowers from the farm last night to top each jar.

:: i miss the cicadas. i have hardly heard their song this summer.

:: i am counting down the days until we head to the lake. it’s my reward for getting through the dog days of summer.

Hand pies

July 7, 2013

my new favorite way to enjoy summer fruits (other than just eating them fresh from the fields) is filling hand pies with them.
i love the simplicity of this recipe and the ease of bringing them along to a picnic or party without worrying about plates and forks.
and they make the perfect breakfast. a homemade pop tart!

summer fruit hand pies
makes about 15 pies

dough
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

filling
your favorite summer fruits cut up or whole mixed with sugar and lemon zest

whisk together flour, soda and powder. with electric mixer beat butter and sugar til fluffy. add egg cream cheese and vanilla until well combined. add flour mixture and beat until smooth. form dough into ball and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

pull out dough. on lightly floured board roll into 4 1/2 inch rounds and about 1/8 inch thick. transfer rounds on parchment lined baking sheet to freezer for 30 minutes.

pull out dough rounds and let stand at room temperature for a few minutes. spoon a tablespoon of filling onto one half of round and brush edges with water. fold round in half and fork around edge to seal. repeat with rest of rounds and transfer pies to freezer for 30 minutes.

preheat oven to 375 degrees. pull out pies and sprinkle evenly with sugar. bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. cool on wire rack.

serve warm or at room temperature.
enjoy!

A progressive dinner

April 2, 2013

i live in such a fun neighborhood.
we are always throwing a party!
i feel so lucky to have such a close knit community within my neighborhood and that we all love tradition.
we get together regularly for all different occasions and we always have so much fun!

this past saturday was our annual progressive dinner. it’s usually held late winter, early spring and i was delighted that it fell on a beautiful warm and sunny evening. for those of you who are wondering what a progressive dinner is, it is basically a party where each successive course is prepared and eaten at the home of a different host.

i hosted hors d’oeuvres this year. i wanted to focus on the arrival of warmer and longer days and chose spring inspired fare.
the menu included horseradishy deviled eggs and salmon with brown bread and condiments such as capers onions, mini gherkin pickles and different types of sweet and spicy mustards. there was white bean dip with sugar snap peas, carrots, asparagus and baby broccoli and several different cheeses served on a long cheese board that i had made just the day before. because it was such a warm day i was able to open up the front porch to serve drinks. i used spring flowers such as hyacinth, ranunculus and tulips to make an arrangement for the table. i unearthed my antique china adorned with polka dots and green trees and it was time to celebrate!

i highly recommend this type of party. they really are so much fun (i had so much fun that i didn’t even pick up my camera to photograph any of the guests!) and the list of possibilities are endless.
i thought it might be fun to offer a little how-to guide on organizing one.
here are a few suggestions….

hosting a progressive dinner

::progressive dinners are not just meant to be hosted within a neighborhood. plan one with friends, co-workers or family. but be sure to keep in mind the travel time between each course to make the night more enjoyable. being able to walk from course to course is the most convenient!

::progressive dinners can be simple or as elaborate as you wish. our neighborhood one involves just appetizers, a main course and dessert. but you could involve more homes with more courses such as soup and salad, or after dinner drinks and dancing. we keep the menus and decor simple but my mother’s neighborhood hosts progressive dinners with themes that involve culturally inspired foods, decorations and sometimes even costume!!

::make sure to involve the whole gang. ask others to contribute to the different courses. you can even be particular and let them know exactly what you need. for example, bread, a green salad, a grain dish etc.

:: make it BYOB! it will help with the budget of those who are hosting the different courses who always seem to take on the brunt of the bill.

:: progressive dinners can happen at any time of the year. we like to pick a time when not much is going on in the neighborhood and when the winter months have kept us all inside from seeing one another. but a summertime one would be fun to host outdoors too!

::progressive dinners are a fun way to meet new people. invite a neighbor who has just moved in or a co-worker who you just haven’t had the time to get to know.

:: don’t stress! there are no particular rules to this. make it your own and have fun!

A Cozy Weekend

February 17, 2013

well it seems as if we are all wearing our stay at home weekend well.
everyone is on the mend and feeling like their old selves again.
the last few days have been full of playing games, hot baths, making music, watching, finishing up knitting projects, reading library books and lots of baking including homemade pita bread and a birthday carrot cake for hannah (both from 3191).

and there are still 2 more days left of the weekend!

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