"I have to go do something important."
"What?"
"I have to go buy a new hat!"
Elizabeth Taylor had just about had it with her husband, played by Van Johnson, in the 1950's movie "The Last Time I Saw Paris". He had been drinking and womanizing, and was trying to give her a lame excuse. She didn't want to hear any more, and what do you do if you want to escape an unpleasant encounter? You go and buy a new hat!
Actually, when I need to get away from things and need to clear my head, I go to Monterey Market, an amazing vegetable market. It is a nice long walk from my place, just far enough to be refreshing and take my mind off almost anything. At the market, I look at all the lovely vegetables. I also walk through a really nice plant nursery, Berkeley Horticultural, on the way, to see what new vegetable plants they have.
So, vegetables. The best cookbook for veggies is Chez Panisse Vegetables. I consult it almost every time I visit a farmer's market or this particular store, which has anything you could imagine. Yesterday I bought all organic produce, fennel bulbs, baby carrots, baby turnips, fingerling potatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, butter lettuce, patty pan squash and more. Most of this went into a sauté mix to serve over rice. It is finished with a dollop of creme fraiche, in homage to an old friend who cooked sour cream vegetables, his favorite dish.
Mixed Vegetable Stir-Fry with Rice
Feeds 2 people, with some leftovers
1 cup Lotus Foods Jade rice
1 small fennel bulb, quartered and sliced
1 handful broccolini, peel the stems with a veggie peeler and cut the big pieces in half lengthwise
5 baby carrots, scrubbed and cut into eighths, lengthwise
5 baby turnips, sliced
3 patty pan squash, sliced
1 red bell pepper, quartered and sliced
1/4 cup vegetable, chicken or beef stock
2 tbs. butter
Cook the rice in 1 1/2 cups of water for 15 minutes, fluff and keep covered.
In a wok or frying pan, saute the vegetables in 3 tbs. of grape seed oil in order, cooking for a few minutes after each addition. Lightly salt, pour in the stock, cover and steam until everything is tender. Stir the mix a couple of times while cooking. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter.
Serve the mixed vegetables over the rice with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream, a la Raoul. Sprinkle with a little Parmagiano Reggiano and parsley if you like...Yummy and so good for you!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Lotta and Lemon Panna Cotta
"We'll never fit in Aunt, we're dressed all wrong! Did you see them staring at us?"
"I'm sure they liked my owl, dear."
Lotta's Aunt had a stuffed owl on the front of her best hat. In the movie "Come and Get It!", Frances Farmer plays two roles, mother and then daughter, both named Lotta. The mother dies and the story becomes about the daughter, who finally has a chance to leave the small logging town where she grew up and go to Chicago.
On the train she wanted to eat in the dining car because she had thought it would be such an elegant experience. They were dressed in their homemade best, but as she said it was all wrong, the people in the dining car stared at them, especially at the owl.
Frances farmer was quite a celebrity in her day, but she made few movies. It is actually a good story, great clothes and hats from the 1930's, and if Lotta did have dessert in that elegant dining car, she might have had a lemon panna cotta. Which rhymes with Lotta.
Lemon Panna Cotta
Makes 8 small ramekins
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup + 2 tbs. superfine sugar, I use organic cane sugar ground fine in a spice grinder.
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
Zest of 4-6 lemons, 2 big tbs.
1 cup Greek style yogurt
Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl and let it soften for 5 minutes. Set aside. Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and stir in the gelatin until it dissolves, add the cream, lemon juice and zest.
Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl, I use one with a spout, and whisk the yogurt to loosen it up. Add the cream mixture slowly while whisking gently to avoid creating air bubbles. Fill the ramekins, cover individually with cling wrap. Tap the ramekin on a surface to eliminate any air bubbles. Chill for at least 6 hours, overnight is even better. If you have a pomegranate, sprinkle seeds over the panna cotta when served.
I started collecting extra small ramekins. Unmold these little, creamy, heavenly, lemony panna cottas next to a piece of pie, as requested for my daughter's birthday.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"I'm sure they liked my owl, dear."
Lotta's Aunt had a stuffed owl on the front of her best hat. In the movie "Come and Get It!", Frances Farmer plays two roles, mother and then daughter, both named Lotta. The mother dies and the story becomes about the daughter, who finally has a chance to leave the small logging town where she grew up and go to Chicago.
On the train she wanted to eat in the dining car because she had thought it would be such an elegant experience. They were dressed in their homemade best, but as she said it was all wrong, the people in the dining car stared at them, especially at the owl.
Frances farmer was quite a celebrity in her day, but she made few movies. It is actually a good story, great clothes and hats from the 1930's, and if Lotta did have dessert in that elegant dining car, she might have had a lemon panna cotta. Which rhymes with Lotta.
Lemon Panna Cotta
Makes 8 small ramekins
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup + 2 tbs. superfine sugar, I use organic cane sugar ground fine in a spice grinder.
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
Zest of 4-6 lemons, 2 big tbs.
1 cup Greek style yogurt
Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl and let it soften for 5 minutes. Set aside. Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and stir in the gelatin until it dissolves, add the cream, lemon juice and zest.
Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl, I use one with a spout, and whisk the yogurt to loosen it up. Add the cream mixture slowly while whisking gently to avoid creating air bubbles. Fill the ramekins, cover individually with cling wrap. Tap the ramekin on a surface to eliminate any air bubbles. Chill for at least 6 hours, overnight is even better. If you have a pomegranate, sprinkle seeds over the panna cotta when served.
I started collecting extra small ramekins. Unmold these little, creamy, heavenly, lemony panna cottas next to a piece of pie, as requested for my daughter's birthday.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Julia Misbehaves and Mild-Mannered Chili
"If she gets depressed, send her off to the nearest casino. She likes it even better than buying a new hat."
Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson made eight or nine movies together. These lines are from one of them, "Julia Misbehaves" made in 1948. It is a bit of a romp, she plays a dance hall girl who reunites with her daughter, played by Elizabeth Taylor. At one point Geer Garson is actually hanging from the stage curtains!
She charmingly misbehaves throughout the movie. Not so this mild-mannered chili. I love chili, the taste of meat and beans together. I have not made it in a while because of the onions, tomatoes and spices that usually gives it flavor. This version achieves that depth of flavor by using different aromatics.
Mild-Mannered Chili
serves 4 people
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 fennel bulb diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 lbs. grass-fed ground sirloin beef
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked until just tender, drained
3-4 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbs. butter
1 cup English cheddar, preferably from the Dorset coast, grated
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees
In a dutch oven, saute the fennel bulb in the olive oil, add the salt and cumin and cook until soft and golden. Add the beef and break it up into big bite size chunks. The sirloin will hold together, you want it chunky. Saute until lightly browned, add the beans, and the beef stock to just cover. Add the bay leaves and stir in the cilantro. Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, give it a stir and bake another 20 minutes, still covered.
After the 40 minutes, return to the stove top on medium heat and stir in the butter and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. Remove the bay leaves. Cook for a few minutes until the chili thickens.
Serve in bowls and garnish with more cheese, Greek yogurt and cilantro leaves. Put a little pile of clover sprouts on the side and dress with a little lemon juice, olive oil and salt. At this point you can add hot sauce if you like it a little spicy. I prefer the mild mannered chili.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson made eight or nine movies together. These lines are from one of them, "Julia Misbehaves" made in 1948. It is a bit of a romp, she plays a dance hall girl who reunites with her daughter, played by Elizabeth Taylor. At one point Geer Garson is actually hanging from the stage curtains!
She charmingly misbehaves throughout the movie. Not so this mild-mannered chili. I love chili, the taste of meat and beans together. I have not made it in a while because of the onions, tomatoes and spices that usually gives it flavor. This version achieves that depth of flavor by using different aromatics.
Mild-Mannered Chili
serves 4 people
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 fennel bulb diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 lbs. grass-fed ground sirloin beef
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked until just tender, drained
3-4 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbs. butter
1 cup English cheddar, preferably from the Dorset coast, grated
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees
In a dutch oven, saute the fennel bulb in the olive oil, add the salt and cumin and cook until soft and golden. Add the beef and break it up into big bite size chunks. The sirloin will hold together, you want it chunky. Saute until lightly browned, add the beans, and the beef stock to just cover. Add the bay leaves and stir in the cilantro. Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, give it a stir and bake another 20 minutes, still covered.
After the 40 minutes, return to the stove top on medium heat and stir in the butter and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. Remove the bay leaves. Cook for a few minutes until the chili thickens.
Serve in bowls and garnish with more cheese, Greek yogurt and cilantro leaves. Put a little pile of clover sprouts on the side and dress with a little lemon juice, olive oil and salt. At this point you can add hot sauce if you like it a little spicy. I prefer the mild mannered chili.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Shanghai Lil and Steamed Chicken Buns with Dipping Sauce
"What are you doing here in Shanghai?"
"I've come to buy a hat."
So answers Marlene Dietrich in the 1932 movie "Shanghai Express" in which she plays Shanghai Lil. Her character is called a "coaster", a woman who lives by her wits along the China coast. Such an exotic film. Miss Dietrich's clothes are exquisite. In the scene where she answers this question she is wearing an amazing feather cloche. Worth watching to see her in that hat.
Another thing she could do in Shanghai would be Yum Cha, the act of going to have Dim Sum, which literally means drink tea. She would have loved my steamed chicken buns. These are gluten free and re-heat perfectly. For a party you can make them the day ahead, re-heat and serve with a zucchini, cucumber, cilantro dipping sauce.
Steamed Chicken Buns
Makes 24 buns
Chicken Bun Dough
2 1/2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup superfine sugar (I grind raw cane sugar in a spice grinder until superfine)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup grape seed oil
To make the dough, sift together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the flour mixture. In a big measuring cup whisk together the milk, water and oil. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and slowly stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is mixed in and it forms a ball. It will be a very soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth adding a little flour to the board as needed to prevent sticking. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one to two hours. Make the filling.
This version of the filling uses herbs I have growing. I also grind the chicken myself so I can use organic thighs and control the size of the grind.
Chicken Bun Filling
3 tbls. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 tbs. grated fresh ginger
1 1/4 lb. ground boneless skinless organic free-range chicken thighs
2 medium zucchini, grated, lightly salted, pressed in a sieve and drained (reserve zucchini juice to add to dipping sauce)
1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp. chopped fresh sweet marjoram
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped fine
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tbs. white wine
3 tbs. chopped cilantro
In a wok on medium high heat, sauté the garlic and ginger in the olive oil for a minute. Add the grated zucchini and cook for 3 minutes. Add the ground chicken. Sauté the chicken for about 5 minutes until it changes color and looks cooked. Throw in the fresh herbs, the water chestnuts and the fish sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook another few minutes until sauce is thickened. Turn off the heat and fold in the chopped cilantro. Set aside in a bowl to cool completely.
Fill a low saucepan or a wok with at least 3" of water to steam the buns. Keep the water level below the bamboo steamers. I use two 10” steamers and steam 12 buns at a time, 6 in each steamer. Cut out 24, 4” circles of parchment paper to put the buns on, this is when little decorative scissors are useful.
To form the buns, work with half the dough at a time, leaving the other half chilling. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a long cylinder shape and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form into balls and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent them drying out.
Roll each ball into a 4” circle. Try to make the edges a little thinner. Keep all the circles under the towel. Working with one circle of dough at a time, cup the dough in your hand and fill with a generous tablespoon of filling. Ruffle the edges of the dough and bring together to cover the filling, forming the bun. Place seam side down on your parchment paper circles and cover again with the towel while you form the other buns.
Place the buns in the steamers, cover and keep the heat on high for lots of steam. Steam for 35-40 minutes. When they don't feel sticky they are done. While the first 12 buns are steaming, form the next twelve.
Serve with a zucchini, cucumber and cilantro dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
Reserved zucchini juice, about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 small cucumber, seeded and diced small
Combine all ingredients and serve in small individual bowls for dipping.
To re-heat buns, place on a baking sheet, cover with foil and put in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
A salad of different kinds of sprouts, dressed with a little grape seed oil and rice vinegar is perfect with the steamed buns. Yum Cha!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"I've come to buy a hat."
So answers Marlene Dietrich in the 1932 movie "Shanghai Express" in which she plays Shanghai Lil. Her character is called a "coaster", a woman who lives by her wits along the China coast. Such an exotic film. Miss Dietrich's clothes are exquisite. In the scene where she answers this question she is wearing an amazing feather cloche. Worth watching to see her in that hat.
Another thing she could do in Shanghai would be Yum Cha, the act of going to have Dim Sum, which literally means drink tea. She would have loved my steamed chicken buns. These are gluten free and re-heat perfectly. For a party you can make them the day ahead, re-heat and serve with a zucchini, cucumber, cilantro dipping sauce.
Steamed Chicken Buns
Makes 24 buns
Chicken Bun Dough
2 1/2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup superfine sugar (I grind raw cane sugar in a spice grinder until superfine)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup grape seed oil
To make the dough, sift together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the flour mixture. In a big measuring cup whisk together the milk, water and oil. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and slowly stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is mixed in and it forms a ball. It will be a very soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth adding a little flour to the board as needed to prevent sticking. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one to two hours. Make the filling.
This version of the filling uses herbs I have growing. I also grind the chicken myself so I can use organic thighs and control the size of the grind.
Chicken Bun Filling
3 tbls. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 tbs. grated fresh ginger
1 1/4 lb. ground boneless skinless organic free-range chicken thighs
2 medium zucchini, grated, lightly salted, pressed in a sieve and drained (reserve zucchini juice to add to dipping sauce)
1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp. chopped fresh sweet marjoram
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped fine
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tbs. white wine
3 tbs. chopped cilantro
In a wok on medium high heat, sauté the garlic and ginger in the olive oil for a minute. Add the grated zucchini and cook for 3 minutes. Add the ground chicken. Sauté the chicken for about 5 minutes until it changes color and looks cooked. Throw in the fresh herbs, the water chestnuts and the fish sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook another few minutes until sauce is thickened. Turn off the heat and fold in the chopped cilantro. Set aside in a bowl to cool completely.
Fill a low saucepan or a wok with at least 3" of water to steam the buns. Keep the water level below the bamboo steamers. I use two 10” steamers and steam 12 buns at a time, 6 in each steamer. Cut out 24, 4” circles of parchment paper to put the buns on, this is when little decorative scissors are useful.
To form the buns, work with half the dough at a time, leaving the other half chilling. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a long cylinder shape and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form into balls and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent them drying out.
Roll each ball into a 4” circle. Try to make the edges a little thinner. Keep all the circles under the towel. Working with one circle of dough at a time, cup the dough in your hand and fill with a generous tablespoon of filling. Ruffle the edges of the dough and bring together to cover the filling, forming the bun. Place seam side down on your parchment paper circles and cover again with the towel while you form the other buns.
Place the buns in the steamers, cover and keep the heat on high for lots of steam. Steam for 35-40 minutes. When they don't feel sticky they are done. While the first 12 buns are steaming, form the next twelve.
Serve with a zucchini, cucumber and cilantro dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
Reserved zucchini juice, about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 small cucumber, seeded and diced small
Combine all ingredients and serve in small individual bowls for dipping.
To re-heat buns, place on a baking sheet, cover with foil and put in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
A salad of different kinds of sprouts, dressed with a little grape seed oil and rice vinegar is perfect with the steamed buns. Yum Cha!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Hedda Hopper and Dinner for Two, Steak with stuffed Pasilla Peppers
"I can wear a hat or take it off, but either way it's a conversation piece." -Hedda Hopper, a columnist famous for her hats.
She is right about how a hat can start a conversation. Men in particular love to comment about a hat. But, ooh la la, what does she mean about taking it off? That sounds like the beginning of a romantic evening. How about dinner for two?
Dinner for Two, Steak and stuffed Pasilla Peppers
1 1 1/2" thick rib-eye steak
2 pasilla peppers
6 oz. goat cheese
zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel, drizzle with olive oil and salt both sides. Set aside to come to room temp.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and through the stem, making sure you cut leaving the biggest pocket for stuffing. Clean out the seeds and ribs. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and let cool while you prepare the filling.
Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Mix together the goat cheese, lemon zest and juice, cilantro, cumin, salt and olive oil. Beat with a wooden spoon to fluff the mixture. Fill the cooled peppers 1/2 way with the goat cheese mixture. Fill the rest of the way with the jack cheese. Bake uncovered in the top rack of the oven for 35-45 minutes until golden and bubbly.
After the peppers have been in the oven for 30 minutes, pre-heat a cast iron pan on the stove top for 4 minutes on high. Cook the steak on the first side for 4 minutes, turn and put the pan in the hot oven on the bottom rack for another 4 minutes. Take the steak out of the pan and let rest covered with foil on a board.
Put the pan back on the stove top on medium high heat and de-glaze with 1/4 cup of wine, whatever you have, red, white, rose, they will all make a quick nice sauce. Reduce the wine and pan drippings to a thick sauce, turn off the heat and swirl in 1 tbs. butter. Slice the steak and pour the sauce over. Serve with the stuffed peppers.
This makes a lovely dinner for two, with a side salad of butter lettuce and buttermilk dressing.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
She is right about how a hat can start a conversation. Men in particular love to comment about a hat. But, ooh la la, what does she mean about taking it off? That sounds like the beginning of a romantic evening. How about dinner for two?
Dinner for Two, Steak and stuffed Pasilla Peppers
1 1 1/2" thick rib-eye steak
2 pasilla peppers
6 oz. goat cheese
zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel, drizzle with olive oil and salt both sides. Set aside to come to room temp.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and through the stem, making sure you cut leaving the biggest pocket for stuffing. Clean out the seeds and ribs. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and let cool while you prepare the filling.
Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Mix together the goat cheese, lemon zest and juice, cilantro, cumin, salt and olive oil. Beat with a wooden spoon to fluff the mixture. Fill the cooled peppers 1/2 way with the goat cheese mixture. Fill the rest of the way with the jack cheese. Bake uncovered in the top rack of the oven for 35-45 minutes until golden and bubbly.
After the peppers have been in the oven for 30 minutes, pre-heat a cast iron pan on the stove top for 4 minutes on high. Cook the steak on the first side for 4 minutes, turn and put the pan in the hot oven on the bottom rack for another 4 minutes. Take the steak out of the pan and let rest covered with foil on a board.
Put the pan back on the stove top on medium high heat and de-glaze with 1/4 cup of wine, whatever you have, red, white, rose, they will all make a quick nice sauce. Reduce the wine and pan drippings to a thick sauce, turn off the heat and swirl in 1 tbs. butter. Slice the steak and pour the sauce over. Serve with the stuffed peppers.
This makes a lovely dinner for two, with a side salad of butter lettuce and buttermilk dressing.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Ninotchka and Russian Tea Cakes
"What else did you have in Paris?"
"A hat. It was very silly, I would be ashamed to wear it here."
"Oh, as beautiful as that!"
In the film 'Ninotchka', Greta Garbo plays a member of the people's army in Russia who is sent to Paris to check on some envoys who were supposed to be selling confiscated jewels but instead were living it up in a big hotel. At the hotel she sees a very silly hat and thinks it is ridiculous. She too becomes seduced by Paris and after returning to Russia, talks to a female comrade about her experiences there. The hat was very symbolic in her change of feelings and her yearning to enjoy a different lifestyle.
I doubt at the time in Russia she would have had the ingredients to make these Russian Tea Cakes. If she did she would have enjoyed them while sipping a cup of tea. And she would have been wearing that silly beautiful hat.
Russian Tea Cakes
1 1/3 cups oats, ground fine in a processor
1 cup rice flour
2/3 cup ground cashews
11 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbs. vanilla extract
Grated zest of one lemon
1 cup confectioners’ sugar for coating the finished cakes
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Mix together the ground oats, rice flour and ground walnuts. In a mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon zest. On a low speed add the oat mixture until combined. Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop, form balls, and place on two cookie sheets lined in parchment paper about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies, reversing the pans halfway through, for 15 minutes. They won’t have browned on top, just a little at the bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Put the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar in a bag and add a few cookies at a time, shaking gently to cat with sugar. After coating, place on a baking rack to finish cooling. When cooled, dust again with the confectioners’ sugar.
Serve your Russian Tea Cakes with your favorite tea, share with a friend and please wear your silliest, most beautiful hat!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"A hat. It was very silly, I would be ashamed to wear it here."
"Oh, as beautiful as that!"
In the film 'Ninotchka', Greta Garbo plays a member of the people's army in Russia who is sent to Paris to check on some envoys who were supposed to be selling confiscated jewels but instead were living it up in a big hotel. At the hotel she sees a very silly hat and thinks it is ridiculous. She too becomes seduced by Paris and after returning to Russia, talks to a female comrade about her experiences there. The hat was very symbolic in her change of feelings and her yearning to enjoy a different lifestyle.
I doubt at the time in Russia she would have had the ingredients to make these Russian Tea Cakes. If she did she would have enjoyed them while sipping a cup of tea. And she would have been wearing that silly beautiful hat.
Russian Tea Cakes
1 1/3 cups oats, ground fine in a processor
1 cup rice flour
2/3 cup ground cashews
11 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbs. vanilla extract
Grated zest of one lemon
1 cup confectioners’ sugar for coating the finished cakes
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Mix together the ground oats, rice flour and ground walnuts. In a mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon zest. On a low speed add the oat mixture until combined. Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop, form balls, and place on two cookie sheets lined in parchment paper about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies, reversing the pans halfway through, for 15 minutes. They won’t have browned on top, just a little at the bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Put the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar in a bag and add a few cookies at a time, shaking gently to cat with sugar. After coating, place on a baking rack to finish cooling. When cooled, dust again with the confectioners’ sugar.
Serve your Russian Tea Cakes with your favorite tea, share with a friend and please wear your silliest, most beautiful hat!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Bette Davis and Chicken Pot Pies
"Bette Davis in rags, she wore the same toque hat three days in a row." This was the newspaper headline when she was in London defending herself in a case against a movie studio and had worn the same hat for three days in a row. In rags!
I recently saw a 1971 interview with Bette Davis on the Dick Cavett Show. She must have have been close to 70 years old and you could have worn her outfit today. Basic black, above the knee mock-turtle neck dress, fur beret, black knee-high boots and her diamond jewelery. We all don't have her star trimmings, but she was Bette Davis. At the end of the fascinating interview she donned a fur vest that matched her beret. Fabulous, although I am not a fan of fur, you have to appreciate the woman's hip style.
Ah, timeless, basic black style. Timeless, chicken pot pie.
Always make too much poached chicken. There are so many things to do with the left-overs. And there is an art to perfectly poached chicken, gently, gently, gently.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
Makes 4 pies
1/4 fennel bulb diced
4 baby carrots, diced
1 stalk celery sliced thin
1 cup frozen peas
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 tbs. chopped parsley
1 cup poached chicken, cubed or shredded
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. rice flour
3 cups chicken stock, heated
1/2 recipe gluten free tart dough (see February 11, savory tart)
In 2 tbs. of olive oil, Saute the fennel, add the carrots and celery and cook until softened. Turn off the heat and add the peas. Season with a little salt. Boil the potatoes in salted water until just cooked, drain and toss with the parsley. Mix everything together with the chicken and set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the rice flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the hot stock and cook on med.-high, whisking until it thickens. Set aside while you prepare the dough.
Roll out the tart dough in a square shape big enough to cut four circles for your soup bowls. My bowls are 4" wide at the top, so I cut a 6" circle. Divide the chicken filling among the four bowls and fill with the thickened broth. Drape the circles of dough over the bowls. Press around the edges to seal.
Put the bowls on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees until the crust is browned, about 20-25 minutes.
Nothing like Bette Davis, or chicken pot pies...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
I recently saw a 1971 interview with Bette Davis on the Dick Cavett Show. She must have have been close to 70 years old and you could have worn her outfit today. Basic black, above the knee mock-turtle neck dress, fur beret, black knee-high boots and her diamond jewelery. We all don't have her star trimmings, but she was Bette Davis. At the end of the fascinating interview she donned a fur vest that matched her beret. Fabulous, although I am not a fan of fur, you have to appreciate the woman's hip style.
Ah, timeless, basic black style. Timeless, chicken pot pie.
Always make too much poached chicken. There are so many things to do with the left-overs. And there is an art to perfectly poached chicken, gently, gently, gently.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
Makes 4 pies
1/4 fennel bulb diced
4 baby carrots, diced
1 stalk celery sliced thin
1 cup frozen peas
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 tbs. chopped parsley
1 cup poached chicken, cubed or shredded
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. rice flour
3 cups chicken stock, heated
1/2 recipe gluten free tart dough (see February 11, savory tart)
In 2 tbs. of olive oil, Saute the fennel, add the carrots and celery and cook until softened. Turn off the heat and add the peas. Season with a little salt. Boil the potatoes in salted water until just cooked, drain and toss with the parsley. Mix everything together with the chicken and set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the rice flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the hot stock and cook on med.-high, whisking until it thickens. Set aside while you prepare the dough.
Roll out the tart dough in a square shape big enough to cut four circles for your soup bowls. My bowls are 4" wide at the top, so I cut a 6" circle. Divide the chicken filling among the four bowls and fill with the thickened broth. Drape the circles of dough over the bowls. Press around the edges to seal.
Put the bowls on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees until the crust is browned, about 20-25 minutes.
Nothing like Bette Davis, or chicken pot pies...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A Pretty Plate
"Sometimes I've looked at a plate of food and wondered if it wouldn't look better as a hat."
I am not sure who said that, but it makes me think. Too much on the plate? Too pretty to eat? It also reminds me of a Thank You note I got from my neighbor after I had taken her a plate of food with small portions arranged nicely to try and entice her to eat. She was going through chemo treatments and really had no appetite. She said in the note, "Was a real treat last night. Mostly force myself to eat. Not so with your pretty plate."
I was trying to recall just what was on that pretty plate. A round of baked goat cheese for sure, some just picked baby lettuces, a little wedge of potato galette, a few sauteed veggies and I think a tiny portion of some protein.
We eat with our eyes first, sometimes it can be overwhelming if it is just too much, so think about small portions of interesting things that can be eaten together.
Baked Goat Cheese on the pretty plate
1 or 2 per person
log of fresh goat cheese
olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano
1tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
Carefully cut the goat cheese into 1 1/2" rounds. Place on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Turn to coat all sides and set aside to let the cheese warm a bit and soak up the oil. I will sometimes do this process over a couple of hours, every step can sit for a bit. When the cheeses look a little puffed up from the oil, roll them in the mix of fresh herbs.
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll the goat cheeses in the bread crumbs and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Serve with a little salad of baby greens and other enticing bits on a pretty plate.
Thank you Dee Dee, I am happy you so enjoyed your pretty plate. And it might have looked good as a hat...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
I am not sure who said that, but it makes me think. Too much on the plate? Too pretty to eat? It also reminds me of a Thank You note I got from my neighbor after I had taken her a plate of food with small portions arranged nicely to try and entice her to eat. She was going through chemo treatments and really had no appetite. She said in the note, "Was a real treat last night. Mostly force myself to eat. Not so with your pretty plate."
I was trying to recall just what was on that pretty plate. A round of baked goat cheese for sure, some just picked baby lettuces, a little wedge of potato galette, a few sauteed veggies and I think a tiny portion of some protein.
We eat with our eyes first, sometimes it can be overwhelming if it is just too much, so think about small portions of interesting things that can be eaten together.
Baked Goat Cheese on the pretty plate
1 or 2 per person
log of fresh goat cheese
olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano
1tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
Carefully cut the goat cheese into 1 1/2" rounds. Place on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. Turn to coat all sides and set aside to let the cheese warm a bit and soak up the oil. I will sometimes do this process over a couple of hours, every step can sit for a bit. When the cheeses look a little puffed up from the oil, roll them in the mix of fresh herbs.
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll the goat cheeses in the bread crumbs and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Serve with a little salad of baby greens and other enticing bits on a pretty plate.
Thank you Dee Dee, I am happy you so enjoyed your pretty plate. And it might have looked good as a hat...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Woody Allen and a Quick Pasta Lunch
"It is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off."
Woody Allen is so funny. He does have a sense of the absurd. And he has used hats as major props in many of his movies, the most famous hat was on the head of "Annie Hall". La de dah!
You don't need to travel faster than the speed of light to cook a quick lunch. That is why we have pasta. I finally found a brown rice pasta that I like and if cooked properly the texture is very close to wheat. Brown rice pasta has a sweet flavor, so the taste is satisfying.
Pasta Lunch
serves 2 people
8 oz. brown rice fusilli pasta (Trader Joe's brand)
olive oil
2 medium zucchini, cut into 2" sticks
1 tsp. thyme leaves
2 tbs. goat cheese
grating of fresh parmagiano-reggiano
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and a little olive oil. Stir in the pasta, when it comes back to the boil turn down the heat to a high simmer. You want to cook it gently and stir every couple of minutes. Under cook the pasta, 6-8 minutes, it should be chewy in the middle. Check it every minute after 6 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, saute the zucchini in olive oil, a pinch of salt and add the thyme leaves. Cook until lightly browned. Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the water. Return the pasta to the pot and drizzle with olive oil, add the cooked zucchini and the goat cheese. Turn the heat back on low and stir in the reserved water to make a sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmagiano-reggiano, a squeeze of lemon and a little sea salt.
For a refreshing little side salad, supreme an orange, reserving any juice and mix with 1/4 of a fennel bulb that has been thinly sliced on a mandolin. Pour the juice, and 1 tsp. of rice vinegar over the salad. Sprinkle on a little sea salt and some chopped fennel fronds.
I never get tired of this quick lunch...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Woody Allen is so funny. He does have a sense of the absurd. And he has used hats as major props in many of his movies, the most famous hat was on the head of "Annie Hall". La de dah!
You don't need to travel faster than the speed of light to cook a quick lunch. That is why we have pasta. I finally found a brown rice pasta that I like and if cooked properly the texture is very close to wheat. Brown rice pasta has a sweet flavor, so the taste is satisfying.
Pasta Lunch
serves 2 people
8 oz. brown rice fusilli pasta (Trader Joe's brand)
olive oil
2 medium zucchini, cut into 2" sticks
1 tsp. thyme leaves
2 tbs. goat cheese
grating of fresh parmagiano-reggiano
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and a little olive oil. Stir in the pasta, when it comes back to the boil turn down the heat to a high simmer. You want to cook it gently and stir every couple of minutes. Under cook the pasta, 6-8 minutes, it should be chewy in the middle. Check it every minute after 6 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, saute the zucchini in olive oil, a pinch of salt and add the thyme leaves. Cook until lightly browned. Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the water. Return the pasta to the pot and drizzle with olive oil, add the cooked zucchini and the goat cheese. Turn the heat back on low and stir in the reserved water to make a sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmagiano-reggiano, a squeeze of lemon and a little sea salt.
For a refreshing little side salad, supreme an orange, reserving any juice and mix with 1/4 of a fennel bulb that has been thinly sliced on a mandolin. Pour the juice, and 1 tsp. of rice vinegar over the salad. Sprinkle on a little sea salt and some chopped fennel fronds.
I never get tired of this quick lunch...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Ninotchka and Stuffed Game Hens
"What is that?"
"It's a hat, a woman's hat."
"How can civilization survive when women are permitted to put things such as that on their heads?"
This was an exchange between Greta Garbo as "Ninotchka" and one of her Russian comrades when she first encounters this latest Paris fashion. She ultimately falls in love with Paris and the fashion. She buys the hat and embraces the city's decadent ways including a romantic night out with a Duke where they drink champagne and eat delicious food. Like stuffed game hens.
It is Valentine's day today. My daughter and her new husband are having dinner with us and there is something so special about having your own bird stuffed with rice and dried fruits. I hope they bring some champagne.
Stuffed Game Hens
serves 4 people
1 cup jade or red rice
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
1/4 cup dried fruit, soaked in 2 tbs. whiskey
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 thin lemon slices, sliced into small triangles
1 tsp. salt
4 organic game hens
4 tbs. softened butter, 2 tbs. combined w/2 tsp. chopped cilantro and zest of one small lemon
2 stalks celery, cut into big pieces
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced
1 cup white wine
Cook the rice in 1 1/4 cups water. Fluff and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool. Saute the celery and fennel in 2 tbs. butter until softened. Add to the rice along with the dried fruit, cilantro, lemon slices and salt. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly dry the game hens, stuff them with the rice mixture. Tie their legs together and place in a baking pan. Massage with the remaining cilantro and lemon zest butter, working the butter under the skin of the breast meat. Strew the celery chunks and fennel slices around the game hens and bake for 50-60 minutes until the temperature of the hens is 160 degrees. Remove to a platter and let rest for 15 minutes. Pour off a little of the fat in the pan and deglaze with the white wine. Cook until it reduces into a nice thick sauce. Strain and serve with the game hens and a side of Vichy carrots and peas.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"It's a hat, a woman's hat."
"How can civilization survive when women are permitted to put things such as that on their heads?"
This was an exchange between Greta Garbo as "Ninotchka" and one of her Russian comrades when she first encounters this latest Paris fashion. She ultimately falls in love with Paris and the fashion. She buys the hat and embraces the city's decadent ways including a romantic night out with a Duke where they drink champagne and eat delicious food. Like stuffed game hens.
It is Valentine's day today. My daughter and her new husband are having dinner with us and there is something so special about having your own bird stuffed with rice and dried fruits. I hope they bring some champagne.
Stuffed Game Hens
serves 4 people
1 cup jade or red rice
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
1/4 cup dried fruit, soaked in 2 tbs. whiskey
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 thin lemon slices, sliced into small triangles
1 tsp. salt
4 organic game hens
4 tbs. softened butter, 2 tbs. combined w/2 tsp. chopped cilantro and zest of one small lemon
2 stalks celery, cut into big pieces
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced
1 cup white wine
Cook the rice in 1 1/4 cups water. Fluff and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool. Saute the celery and fennel in 2 tbs. butter until softened. Add to the rice along with the dried fruit, cilantro, lemon slices and salt. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly dry the game hens, stuff them with the rice mixture. Tie their legs together and place in a baking pan. Massage with the remaining cilantro and lemon zest butter, working the butter under the skin of the breast meat. Strew the celery chunks and fennel slices around the game hens and bake for 50-60 minutes until the temperature of the hens is 160 degrees. Remove to a platter and let rest for 15 minutes. Pour off a little of the fat in the pan and deglaze with the white wine. Cook until it reduces into a nice thick sauce. Strain and serve with the game hens and a side of Vichy carrots and peas.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Barbara Stanwyck and a Savory Tart
I am a big fan of Barbara Stanwyck. The movie that really launched her career was a pre-code gem called "Baby Face". In it she plays Lily Powers, a girl who is a bartender at her father's speakeasy. She is also forced into prostitution with the men who frequent the place. She runs away and gets a job at a title company and literally sleeps her way to the top floor. Literally. As the movie progresses there is a recurring image of the outside of the building and after each conquest she moves up to the next floor. She finally ends up at the top involved with the vice-president of the company.
Her hats and clothes reflect her rise in affluence. She starts in non descript clothing and an old straw hat and by the end she is dressed in the latest fashion of 1933. Would it be fair to say she plays a bit of a tart? Definitely a savory tart.
Today I made a savory gluten free tart, filled it with goat cheese and lots of veggies and it is now cooling on the counter looking every bit as scrumptious as Barbara Stanwyck at her dressed up best.
Savory Tart Shell
Makes 1 8"x11" tart shell
2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. really cold butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 tbs. cold vegetable shortening
scant 1/2 cup ice water
Sift together the flour, xanthan gum and salt. Blend the flour and shortenings together with a pastry blender until it resembles oatmeal flakes. Add most of the ice water and bring it together into a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured cool surface. I highly recommend a marble slab for pastry. Blend the dough together a little at a time with the heel of your hand, then using a pastry scraper gather it up into a ball again. Form into a flattened rectangle shape, wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough out until it is slightly bigger than the tart pan. I always think of modeling clay when working this dough. If it breaks just press it back together. Line the tart pan with the dough, clean off the edges with your rolling pin. Prick the bottom with a fork and line the shell with parchment paper. Fill with dried beans for pre-baking. Bake 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans. Let cool slightly before filling.
Savory Tart Filling
5 slices bacon cut into lardons
6 oz. baby spinach, chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8 oz. goat cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
juice of one lemon
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. fresh thyme
2 small zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 oz. broccoli florets
6 oz. English cheddar cheese
Cook the bacon until crispy and remove to a mixing bowl. Drain off some of the fat in the pan leaving 2 tbs. Cook the spinach in the fat until wilted and grate in the nutmeg. In another mixing bowl stir together the goat cheese, cream, lemon juice, olive oil, thyme and the cooked spinach. This will be the bottom layer of the tart.
Sauté the zucchini, bell pepper, and broccoli in olive oil until softened. Add to the bowl with the bacon and stir in 3 oz. of the cheddar cheese.
Spread the goat cheese mixture in the bottom of the prepared shell. Add the layer of vegetables and sprinkle on the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the shell looks golden. Let cool a bit, unmold and cool to about room temperature.
Serve with a salad of frisee and sunflower sprouts, lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.
She's a savory tart.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Her hats and clothes reflect her rise in affluence. She starts in non descript clothing and an old straw hat and by the end she is dressed in the latest fashion of 1933. Would it be fair to say she plays a bit of a tart? Definitely a savory tart.
Today I made a savory gluten free tart, filled it with goat cheese and lots of veggies and it is now cooling on the counter looking every bit as scrumptious as Barbara Stanwyck at her dressed up best.
Savory Tart Shell
Makes 1 8"x11" tart shell
2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. really cold butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 tbs. cold vegetable shortening
scant 1/2 cup ice water
Sift together the flour, xanthan gum and salt. Blend the flour and shortenings together with a pastry blender until it resembles oatmeal flakes. Add most of the ice water and bring it together into a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured cool surface. I highly recommend a marble slab for pastry. Blend the dough together a little at a time with the heel of your hand, then using a pastry scraper gather it up into a ball again. Form into a flattened rectangle shape, wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough out until it is slightly bigger than the tart pan. I always think of modeling clay when working this dough. If it breaks just press it back together. Line the tart pan with the dough, clean off the edges with your rolling pin. Prick the bottom with a fork and line the shell with parchment paper. Fill with dried beans for pre-baking. Bake 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans. Let cool slightly before filling.
Savory Tart Filling
5 slices bacon cut into lardons
6 oz. baby spinach, chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8 oz. goat cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
juice of one lemon
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. fresh thyme
2 small zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 oz. broccoli florets
6 oz. English cheddar cheese
Cook the bacon until crispy and remove to a mixing bowl. Drain off some of the fat in the pan leaving 2 tbs. Cook the spinach in the fat until wilted and grate in the nutmeg. In another mixing bowl stir together the goat cheese, cream, lemon juice, olive oil, thyme and the cooked spinach. This will be the bottom layer of the tart.
Sauté the zucchini, bell pepper, and broccoli in olive oil until softened. Add to the bowl with the bacon and stir in 3 oz. of the cheddar cheese.
Spread the goat cheese mixture in the bottom of the prepared shell. Add the layer of vegetables and sprinkle on the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the shell looks golden. Let cool a bit, unmold and cool to about room temperature.
Serve with a salad of frisee and sunflower sprouts, lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.
She's a savory tart.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Revolution and Baked apples
I read an interesting fact about hats and the American Revolution. In 1732 Great Britain restricted hat-making in America and forced the colonists to buy heavily taxed British made hats creating another one of the grievances that led to the American revolution. Hats were such an important commodity that there needed to be a revolution to have American milliners. Please support your local milliner in America. We had to fight for it and hats are still important.
Baked apples also have a history in Great Britain and America. The classic preparations are the same and I don't think there was ever any controversy involved in making them. In fact I have baked them in both countries. I was reminded of this simple dessert when watching an episode of the River Cottage series, a cooking show I saw in England. Cored apples are stuffed with dried fruits soaked in alcohol, butter and spices, then baked. Apple pie without the crust.
Baked Apples
4 crisp gala style apples
squeeze of lemon
1/4 cup dried fruits
1/4 cup brandy or whiskey
2 tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbs. softened butter.
Heavy cream whipped with a little sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Core the apples and score them in the middle all the way around the apple. This will keep them from bursting. Stand them up in a buttered baking dish. Squeeze lemon juice over and set them aside.
Heat the alcohol and fruit in a saucepan with the brown sugar and cinnamon. When sugar is dissolved turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. Strain the fruit, reserving any liquid. Mix the fruit with 2 tbs. of the butter, stuff the apples and top each with the remaining butter.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Pour the reserved liquid over each apple and bake 15 minutes more. Remove immediately to individual serving bowls with the syrupy sauce and let cool to room temperature. Serve with sweetened freshly whipped cream.
The most exotic apple I have tried baking this way is called Pink Pearl. It has a floral rose scent, pale rose colored flesh and is almost magenta pink inside. This makes sense since apple trees are a member of the rose family.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Baked apples also have a history in Great Britain and America. The classic preparations are the same and I don't think there was ever any controversy involved in making them. In fact I have baked them in both countries. I was reminded of this simple dessert when watching an episode of the River Cottage series, a cooking show I saw in England. Cored apples are stuffed with dried fruits soaked in alcohol, butter and spices, then baked. Apple pie without the crust.
Baked Apples
4 crisp gala style apples
squeeze of lemon
1/4 cup dried fruits
1/4 cup brandy or whiskey
2 tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbs. softened butter.
Heavy cream whipped with a little sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Core the apples and score them in the middle all the way around the apple. This will keep them from bursting. Stand them up in a buttered baking dish. Squeeze lemon juice over and set them aside.
Heat the alcohol and fruit in a saucepan with the brown sugar and cinnamon. When sugar is dissolved turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. Strain the fruit, reserving any liquid. Mix the fruit with 2 tbs. of the butter, stuff the apples and top each with the remaining butter.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Pour the reserved liquid over each apple and bake 15 minutes more. Remove immediately to individual serving bowls with the syrupy sauce and let cool to room temperature. Serve with sweetened freshly whipped cream.
The most exotic apple I have tried baking this way is called Pink Pearl. It has a floral rose scent, pale rose colored flesh and is almost magenta pink inside. This makes sense since apple trees are a member of the rose family.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Winslow Boy and Seafood Bake with Salad
Barrister: "That is a very pretty brown hat. It doesn't suit your profession."Sister: I'm not a militant, I don't go around breaking windows or pouring acid down post boxes."
Barrister: "Very inappropriate in such a hat!"
This conversation took place between a barrister and the sister of the boy he was defending in the movie 'The Winslow Boy'. The sister was a suffragette.
What would be appropriate in such a hat? Not fancy enough for a garden party but not a gardening hat either. Maybe in her day a hat to wear while doing the daily shopping, gathering ingredients for the day's dinner.
My favorite food purveyors are within walking distance from my house. It is a good stretch of the legs but not so far that it prohibits carrying a bag of groceries home. I can visit a butcher who sells all humanely raised meat, a fish-monger with the freshest offerings and a veggie market that rivals the farmers market.
I wear a hat when I walk to these shops. It is not a fancy hat but not a gardening hat either. Yesterday's walk resulted in seafood and veggies for one of my favorite dinners, seafood bake and salad.
Seafood Bake
serves 2 people
8 fingerling potatoes
2 small rock cod fillets
1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned and de-veined, save the shells for stock
1 lb. mussels, cleaned
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1 cup white wine
1 cup shrimp broth
juice of a lemon
pinch of saffron
sea salt
olive oil
butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Boil the potatoes until tender and drain. When cool enough to handle, cut in half and place cut side up on a plate. While still warm drizzle with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle with 1/2 the parsley and the sea salt. Set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Check the cod fillets for bones and lay in the bottom of a buttered baking dish just big enough to fit them. Place the shrimp in one layer over the fish fillets. Put in the fridge while you make the sauce. Boil the shrimp shells in 1 1/4 cups water for about 10 minutes, strain and reserve 1 cup for the sauce.
For the sauce, sauté the fennel and celery in a little butter and olive oil until slightly caramelized. De-glaze with the white wine, add the shrimp stock and simmer for 10 minutes until the flavor deepens. Skim off any foam that forms. Add the lemon juice and saffron. Simmer 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. It will need a little salt but be careful, the mussels will add their salty liquor to the dish. Add the mussels in a final layer over the cod and shrimp. Pour the sauce over the seafood and bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes. It is done when the shrimp are cooked and the mussels are open. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of parsley, and the potato garnish.
It is a striking dish and so tasty. Serve a simple salad of butter lettuce and a quick buttermilk dressing. Whisk together 1/4 cup buttermilk, juice of 1/2 a lemon, a pinch of sea salt and toss with the lettuce.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Barrister: "Very inappropriate in such a hat!"
This conversation took place between a barrister and the sister of the boy he was defending in the movie 'The Winslow Boy'. The sister was a suffragette.
What would be appropriate in such a hat? Not fancy enough for a garden party but not a gardening hat either. Maybe in her day a hat to wear while doing the daily shopping, gathering ingredients for the day's dinner.
My favorite food purveyors are within walking distance from my house. It is a good stretch of the legs but not so far that it prohibits carrying a bag of groceries home. I can visit a butcher who sells all humanely raised meat, a fish-monger with the freshest offerings and a veggie market that rivals the farmers market.
I wear a hat when I walk to these shops. It is not a fancy hat but not a gardening hat either. Yesterday's walk resulted in seafood and veggies for one of my favorite dinners, seafood bake and salad.
Seafood Bake
serves 2 people
8 fingerling potatoes
2 small rock cod fillets
1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned and de-veined, save the shells for stock
1 lb. mussels, cleaned
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1 cup white wine
1 cup shrimp broth
juice of a lemon
pinch of saffron
sea salt
olive oil
butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Boil the potatoes until tender and drain. When cool enough to handle, cut in half and place cut side up on a plate. While still warm drizzle with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle with 1/2 the parsley and the sea salt. Set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Check the cod fillets for bones and lay in the bottom of a buttered baking dish just big enough to fit them. Place the shrimp in one layer over the fish fillets. Put in the fridge while you make the sauce. Boil the shrimp shells in 1 1/4 cups water for about 10 minutes, strain and reserve 1 cup for the sauce.
For the sauce, sauté the fennel and celery in a little butter and olive oil until slightly caramelized. De-glaze with the white wine, add the shrimp stock and simmer for 10 minutes until the flavor deepens. Skim off any foam that forms. Add the lemon juice and saffron. Simmer 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. It will need a little salt but be careful, the mussels will add their salty liquor to the dish. Add the mussels in a final layer over the cod and shrimp. Pour the sauce over the seafood and bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes. It is done when the shrimp are cooked and the mussels are open. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of parsley, and the potato garnish.
It is a striking dish and so tasty. Serve a simple salad of butter lettuce and a quick buttermilk dressing. Whisk together 1/4 cup buttermilk, juice of 1/2 a lemon, a pinch of sea salt and toss with the lettuce.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Goat cheese Rolls and Avocado Dressing
"I can't risk this hat going through the roses."
Such is the nature of roses. They are so intoxicating, you want to lean in and take in their delicious scent. But they are also grabby and if you are wearing a special, big hat...well you see what I mean. In the movie "The Winslow Boy", Mrs. Winslow would rather leave by her front door and face the reporters there than risk her hat by going out through the rose garden in the back.
I just heard someone say, "There will always be roses and England." I love England. We have visited there for three weeks, the last two Octobers. Two weeks each time was spent on the south coast in a little Victorian seaside village. Our house is on a cliff overlooking the sea with access to the beach. We got to know the village and some of the people in it by the end of the second visit. And where to find the butcher, fish-monger and fresh herbs.
We ate a number of times at a French style bistro and became friends with the owners, Terry and Margaret. Terry made delicious food. The last night we were there we had them up to our house for wine and small plates of food. I wanted to give them a taste of my food in California. That had to include two things, goat cheese and avocado.
Goat Cheese Rolls
3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise in long strips, 1/4" thick, use a mandolin if you have one.
4 oz. fresh goat cheese
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. chopped thyme
1 tbs. chopped parsley
1 tbs. olive oil
big pinch of sea salt
olive oil to fry the zucchini strips
balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Fry the zucchini strips until golden on each side. Remove to a plate to cool. Mix the goat cheese with all the other ingredients to make a filling. Place a tablespoon of the filling at the end of a zucchini strip and roll it up. Place seam side down on a serving platter. Before serving drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.
Avocado Dressing
I wanted a little salad to finish our bites before dessert or pudding as the English would say. I had an avocado ripening for over a week. We weren't in California where I can always find a ripe avocado. For the dressing, smash up the avocado with lemon juice, salt and a little olive oil and cream together. Add a little water to thin. Toss with bite size pieces of Little Gem lettuce and sprinkle with sun-flower seeds.
Margaret hugged me after she ate her salad, and later as they were leaving the last thing Terry said to me was, "I like your food." Two of my nicest compliments.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-lone Etsy shop.
Such is the nature of roses. They are so intoxicating, you want to lean in and take in their delicious scent. But they are also grabby and if you are wearing a special, big hat...well you see what I mean. In the movie "The Winslow Boy", Mrs. Winslow would rather leave by her front door and face the reporters there than risk her hat by going out through the rose garden in the back.
I just heard someone say, "There will always be roses and England." I love England. We have visited there for three weeks, the last two Octobers. Two weeks each time was spent on the south coast in a little Victorian seaside village. Our house is on a cliff overlooking the sea with access to the beach. We got to know the village and some of the people in it by the end of the second visit. And where to find the butcher, fish-monger and fresh herbs.
We ate a number of times at a French style bistro and became friends with the owners, Terry and Margaret. Terry made delicious food. The last night we were there we had them up to our house for wine and small plates of food. I wanted to give them a taste of my food in California. That had to include two things, goat cheese and avocado.
Goat Cheese Rolls
3 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise in long strips, 1/4" thick, use a mandolin if you have one.
4 oz. fresh goat cheese
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. chopped thyme
1 tbs. chopped parsley
1 tbs. olive oil
big pinch of sea salt
olive oil to fry the zucchini strips
balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Fry the zucchini strips until golden on each side. Remove to a plate to cool. Mix the goat cheese with all the other ingredients to make a filling. Place a tablespoon of the filling at the end of a zucchini strip and roll it up. Place seam side down on a serving platter. Before serving drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.
Avocado Dressing
I wanted a little salad to finish our bites before dessert or pudding as the English would say. I had an avocado ripening for over a week. We weren't in California where I can always find a ripe avocado. For the dressing, smash up the avocado with lemon juice, salt and a little olive oil and cream together. Add a little water to thin. Toss with bite size pieces of Little Gem lettuce and sprinkle with sun-flower seeds.
Margaret hugged me after she ate her salad, and later as they were leaving the last thing Terry said to me was, "I like your food." Two of my nicest compliments.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-lone Etsy shop.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Mrs. Minniver and Salad with Creme Fraiche Dressing
I love this exchange between Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon in the movie, "Mrs. Minniver". He had just bought a new car, she had just bought a new hat and they were each trying to tell the other about their extravagances.
Pidgeon: "A new tire shouldn't cost more than, say, a new hat?"
Garson: "A new hat?" (she tries on her new hat)
Pidgeon: "What is that?"
Garson: "Do you like it? I bought it today."
Pidgeon: "It's very pretty."
Garson: "Then it was worth the money. Clem, I think we are
very lucky people, we've got a new car and a new hat!"
She spent a bit of time in her kitchen in that movie. It is where she encountered the German flier. I wonder if she had a bowl of creme fraiche curing on the counter?
Ah, creme fraiche...it can be expensive, but it is really very easy to make. When I have a bowl on the counter my husband thinks he is married to a French housewife. I like to have it around mostly so I can recreate the Little Gem lettuce salad with creme fraiche dressing that they make at Chez Panisse restaurant. It will make anyone eat their greens. I usually make half a recipe unless we have guests or to make ice cream. It is also delicious on baked fruit. I am preparing a bowl today.
creme fraiche
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup yogurt (I like goat yogurt, or greek style)
In a pretty, very clean ceramic bowl, that is just big enough to hold the mixture, gently whisk together the cream, buttermilk and yogurt. Cover with cling film and set on the counter in a warm part of the kitchen. If it is a cold day, set it near or on the stove. It will take two or three days to thicken, the longer you leave it out, the thicker it will be. Gently whisk it in the morning to blend and check thickness. When it is to your liking store it in the fridge. It will thicken a bit more. I like it pretty thick.
Little Gem Lettuce Salad
feeds 4 people
2 heads Little Gem lettuce (or 1 head butter lettuce if out of season), washed and torn into big bite size pieces
Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
creme fraiche dressing
creme fraiche dressing
3 tbs. creme fraiche
juice of 1 small lemon
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
big pinch of sea salt
Whisk all ingredients together, toss with prepared lettuce, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
I always think I have made enough, but my family are big salad eaters and always want more.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Pidgeon: "A new tire shouldn't cost more than, say, a new hat?"
Garson: "A new hat?" (she tries on her new hat)
Pidgeon: "What is that?"
Garson: "Do you like it? I bought it today."
Pidgeon: "It's very pretty."
Garson: "Then it was worth the money. Clem, I think we are
very lucky people, we've got a new car and a new hat!"
She spent a bit of time in her kitchen in that movie. It is where she encountered the German flier. I wonder if she had a bowl of creme fraiche curing on the counter?
Ah, creme fraiche...it can be expensive, but it is really very easy to make. When I have a bowl on the counter my husband thinks he is married to a French housewife. I like to have it around mostly so I can recreate the Little Gem lettuce salad with creme fraiche dressing that they make at Chez Panisse restaurant. It will make anyone eat their greens. I usually make half a recipe unless we have guests or to make ice cream. It is also delicious on baked fruit. I am preparing a bowl today.
creme fraiche
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup yogurt (I like goat yogurt, or greek style)
In a pretty, very clean ceramic bowl, that is just big enough to hold the mixture, gently whisk together the cream, buttermilk and yogurt. Cover with cling film and set on the counter in a warm part of the kitchen. If it is a cold day, set it near or on the stove. It will take two or three days to thicken, the longer you leave it out, the thicker it will be. Gently whisk it in the morning to blend and check thickness. When it is to your liking store it in the fridge. It will thicken a bit more. I like it pretty thick.
Little Gem Lettuce Salad
feeds 4 people
2 heads Little Gem lettuce (or 1 head butter lettuce if out of season), washed and torn into big bite size pieces
Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
creme fraiche dressing
creme fraiche dressing
3 tbs. creme fraiche
juice of 1 small lemon
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
big pinch of sea salt
Whisk all ingredients together, toss with prepared lettuce, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
I always think I have made enough, but my family are big salad eaters and always want more.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Gluten free Oatmeal Scones for J.J.
Mmm...scones. That is what my children say when they come over and see a plate of scones. One day four children, four comments.
Today was sick day 3 for grandson J.J. and I have been taking care of him. He is feeling better so I wanted to bake him something special. He arrived just as the scones were going into the oven and thanked me in advance of eating them.
Before I became a milliner I had one year when I stayed home with the kids. After that I was a full-time working Mom. During that year at home we baked scones every day. I say we because my two littlest always helped and had their hands in the dough. Violet is now a very accomplished baker.
They are the best scones ever. And now the recipe is gluten free. They taste just like you used wheat flour.
Gluten Free OATMEAL SCONES
There are no utensils used in making this dough. Only hands are allowed in the mixing bowl. It requires a quick hand rinse after mixing in the buttermilk and before forming the discs, but is is the only way to make a light fluffy scone. When forming the discs I use enough flour to keep them from sticking to the board but not too much or it will weigh them down. Handle the dough only until it comes together and holds a shape.
Makes 12 scones
1 3/4 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground oats, ground in a processor
1/4 cup raw cane sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
7 tablespoons unsweetened butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup whole oats
1/2 cup currants (optional)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, plus extra for brushing the tops
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, soda and salt. Mix in the ground oats and sugar. Add the butter and blend with you fingers until it resembles coarse flaky meal. Mix in the whole oats and currants. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the buttermilk. Bring the dough together gently, it will be sticky. Turn it out onto a floured board and form into two 1” thick discs. Cut each disc into six wedges and place on a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with Devon cream and jam.
Today we had no clotted cream, but I thinned a little cream cheese with heavy cream and that was a good substitute. J.J. always eats a whole one first as a taste test then he makes a scone and jam sandwich.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our online Etsy shop.
Today was sick day 3 for grandson J.J. and I have been taking care of him. He is feeling better so I wanted to bake him something special. He arrived just as the scones were going into the oven and thanked me in advance of eating them.
Before I became a milliner I had one year when I stayed home with the kids. After that I was a full-time working Mom. During that year at home we baked scones every day. I say we because my two littlest always helped and had their hands in the dough. Violet is now a very accomplished baker.
They are the best scones ever. And now the recipe is gluten free. They taste just like you used wheat flour.
Gluten Free OATMEAL SCONES
There are no utensils used in making this dough. Only hands are allowed in the mixing bowl. It requires a quick hand rinse after mixing in the buttermilk and before forming the discs, but is is the only way to make a light fluffy scone. When forming the discs I use enough flour to keep them from sticking to the board but not too much or it will weigh them down. Handle the dough only until it comes together and holds a shape.
Makes 12 scones
1 3/4 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground oats, ground in a processor
1/4 cup raw cane sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
7 tablespoons unsweetened butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup whole oats
1/2 cup currants (optional)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, plus extra for brushing the tops
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, soda and salt. Mix in the ground oats and sugar. Add the butter and blend with you fingers until it resembles coarse flaky meal. Mix in the whole oats and currants. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the buttermilk. Bring the dough together gently, it will be sticky. Turn it out onto a floured board and form into two 1” thick discs. Cut each disc into six wedges and place on a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with Devon cream and jam.
Today we had no clotted cream, but I thinned a little cream cheese with heavy cream and that was a good substitute. J.J. always eats a whole one first as a taste test then he makes a scone and jam sandwich.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our online Etsy shop.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Chicken and Ginger Meatball Soup
I decided to work on spring hats for two hours then it was time to make soup. Not enough hat time but it is the second sick day for J.J. and we needed some serious medicinal soup. Chicken and ginger meatball soup with soba noodles. The meatballs are perfect in this ginger flavored soup that can cure what ails you.
If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer and you eat meat get the meat grinder. I grind all the meat myself for meatballs. You can get the right consistency and you can buy exactly the kind of meat you want, organic and humanely raised.
Chicken and Ginger Meatball Soup
Serves 4 people
meatballs
5 boneless skinless organic chicken thighs coarsely ground in a meat grinder
1 celery stalk, diced really fine and sauteed in 1 tsp. butter
1 tbs. fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbs. textured vegetable protein, soaked in 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
To form the meatballs combine all the ingredients. Break off enough of the mixture to form a 1” ball and roll it in rice flour. Proceed until all the balls are made, re-roll in the rice flour and let them rest uncovered on a plate in the fridge for an hour while you make the soup base.
soup base
1 oz. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
1 small fennel bulb sliced
1 tbs. fresh grated ginger
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock + 1-2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
prepared chicken meatballs
1 package buckwheat soba
2 cups chopped bok choy greens
chopped cilantro and lemon spritz for garnish
Melt the butter with the olive oil, sauté the fennel and ginger until softened. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup water, bay leaf and salt. Simmer for 45 minutes then remove the bay leaf. Add the meatballs, more water to cover if needed and gently simmer until they float, about 20 minutes. Add the bok choy, simmer another 10 minutes. Add the noodles and cook until they are al dente. To serve, spritz with lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
J.J. could breathe after he ate his soup, there were several mmm's and definitely yums.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer and you eat meat get the meat grinder. I grind all the meat myself for meatballs. You can get the right consistency and you can buy exactly the kind of meat you want, organic and humanely raised.
Chicken and Ginger Meatball Soup
Serves 4 people
meatballs
5 boneless skinless organic chicken thighs coarsely ground in a meat grinder
1 celery stalk, diced really fine and sauteed in 1 tsp. butter
1 tbs. fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbs. textured vegetable protein, soaked in 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
To form the meatballs combine all the ingredients. Break off enough of the mixture to form a 1” ball and roll it in rice flour. Proceed until all the balls are made, re-roll in the rice flour and let them rest uncovered on a plate in the fridge for an hour while you make the soup base.
soup base
1 oz. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
1 small fennel bulb sliced
1 tbs. fresh grated ginger
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock + 1-2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
prepared chicken meatballs
1 package buckwheat soba
2 cups chopped bok choy greens
chopped cilantro and lemon spritz for garnish
Melt the butter with the olive oil, sauté the fennel and ginger until softened. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup water, bay leaf and salt. Simmer for 45 minutes then remove the bay leaf. Add the meatballs, more water to cover if needed and gently simmer until they float, about 20 minutes. Add the bok choy, simmer another 10 minutes. Add the noodles and cook until they are al dente. To serve, spritz with lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
J.J. could breathe after he ate his soup, there were several mmm's and definitely yums.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Bette Davis and Lamb Stew with Gnocchi
Something to live for, something to think about other than horses, hats and food...this is a line that Bette Davis utters in the movie Dark Victory after she falls in love. I agree but I spend a lot more time thinking about hats and food.
Today I was caring for a sick child and wanted to make a delicious hearty and nourishing dish that included broth. I usually watch a couple of my favorite cooking shows as I begin my workday and today I saw an Italian chef make lamb stew with gnocchi. Sounded just right for my sick fellow. I served a little salad of fresh fennel and tangelos alongside.
First lets contemplate gnocchi. Pillows of air. My challenge was to make them gluten free because I feel better without gluten. The main difference with gluten free flour is in working the dough. There is no rolling because the dough breaks. It is a bit like forming something out of modeling clay. And the more the dough rested the easier it was to work with.
Potato Gnocchi
Makes 6 generous portions
2 medium russet potatoes baked until tender, peeled and riced
2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup water
2 tbs. olive oil
In a large mixing bowl combine the potato, flour and xanthan gum. Lightly mix, then add water, egg and olive oil. Press together into a dough and turn out onto a board. Knead very slightly as you continue to press the dough into a ball. Cover the ball with a bit of cling film and an upside down bowl and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour. After resting, cut the dough into 8 pieces. Cover with a kitchen towel and work with one piece at a time. Always with a gentle touch form the piece into a log about 3/4" thick. Cut 1/2" pieces. Make a dimple in each piece with your finger and form into a little boat like shape. At this point you can cook them off or freeze and cook them later.
Boil the gnocchi in salted water until they float, let cook 2 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Keep in the fridge until you are ready with the sauce or casserole.
Lamb Stew
serves 4 people
2 lamb steaks, cut into 1" pieces (about 1 1/2 1bs)
2 cups red wine
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 fennel bulb, cut in quarters and sliced thin
4 small zucchini, diced small
4 servings gnocchi
1 cup grated parmagiano-reggiano cheese
olive oil
salt to taste
Marinate the cubed lamb in the wine, garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary for at least 2 hours. Mix in the fennel and pour into a baking dish. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 300 degree oven for 1 hour stirring every 20 minutes. During the last 20 minutes sauté the zucchini in olive oil until golden. Take the lamb out of the oven and raise the temperature to 350 degrees. Sprinkle half the zucchini over the lamb, a layer of gnocchi and the rest of the zucchini and the cheese. Bake another 25-30 minutes uncovered until golden and bubbly.
Fennel and Tangelo Salad
Quarter and slice a fennel bulb very fine. Peel two tangelos, quarter and cut across into slices. Mix with the fennel and some chopped fennel fronds and dress with some rice wine vinegar, grape seed oil and salt.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Today I was caring for a sick child and wanted to make a delicious hearty and nourishing dish that included broth. I usually watch a couple of my favorite cooking shows as I begin my workday and today I saw an Italian chef make lamb stew with gnocchi. Sounded just right for my sick fellow. I served a little salad of fresh fennel and tangelos alongside.
First lets contemplate gnocchi. Pillows of air. My challenge was to make them gluten free because I feel better without gluten. The main difference with gluten free flour is in working the dough. There is no rolling because the dough breaks. It is a bit like forming something out of modeling clay. And the more the dough rested the easier it was to work with.
Potato Gnocchi
Makes 6 generous portions
2 medium russet potatoes baked until tender, peeled and riced
2 cups Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup water
2 tbs. olive oil
In a large mixing bowl combine the potato, flour and xanthan gum. Lightly mix, then add water, egg and olive oil. Press together into a dough and turn out onto a board. Knead very slightly as you continue to press the dough into a ball. Cover the ball with a bit of cling film and an upside down bowl and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour. After resting, cut the dough into 8 pieces. Cover with a kitchen towel and work with one piece at a time. Always with a gentle touch form the piece into a log about 3/4" thick. Cut 1/2" pieces. Make a dimple in each piece with your finger and form into a little boat like shape. At this point you can cook them off or freeze and cook them later.
Boil the gnocchi in salted water until they float, let cook 2 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Keep in the fridge until you are ready with the sauce or casserole.
Lamb Stew
serves 4 people
2 lamb steaks, cut into 1" pieces (about 1 1/2 1bs)
2 cups red wine
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 fennel bulb, cut in quarters and sliced thin
4 small zucchini, diced small
4 servings gnocchi
1 cup grated parmagiano-reggiano cheese
olive oil
salt to taste
Marinate the cubed lamb in the wine, garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary for at least 2 hours. Mix in the fennel and pour into a baking dish. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 300 degree oven for 1 hour stirring every 20 minutes. During the last 20 minutes sauté the zucchini in olive oil until golden. Take the lamb out of the oven and raise the temperature to 350 degrees. Sprinkle half the zucchini over the lamb, a layer of gnocchi and the rest of the zucchini and the cheese. Bake another 25-30 minutes uncovered until golden and bubbly.
Fennel and Tangelo Salad
Quarter and slice a fennel bulb very fine. Peel two tangelos, quarter and cut across into slices. Mix with the fennel and some chopped fennel fronds and dress with some rice wine vinegar, grape seed oil and salt.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
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