"The monstrous reign of the cloche, dismissed by Vogue as 'alike as two million peas', was finished. What replaced it was a giddy parade of styles. Beginning around 1935, hats brandished spectacular trims, blinding colors, awe-inspiring or just plain silly shapes." -hats, a stylish history and collector's guide, by Jody Shields
The cloche shape was extremely popular all through the 1920's. It did project a particular image and I could see how women were ready for a change after a decade of small close fitting hats. The outlandish hats of the 1930's allowed women to explore new silhouettes and different hairstyles. No more as 'alike as two million peas' in a pod.
Two million peas. That is a lot of peas. I would bet that they eat at least two million peas a year in the England. I found a new appreciation of peas during my two recent visits to the U.K. We were at the counter of an outdoor cafe where all the fast cooking was being done and the cook kept serving up side after side of mushy peas. Since they seemed so popular I asked what she added to the peas. Compound butter and triple cream. She kind of laughed when she said it. They were delicious. My recipe is a tiny bit lighter, I use a dollop of creme fraiche instead of the triple cream.
Mushy Peas
8 oz. frozen peas
1 tbs. compound butter
1-2 tbs. creme fraiche
1-2 tbs. freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
1/2 tsp. salt
compound butter; Mix 4 oz. softened butter with 1 tsp. finely chopped mint, 1 tsp. finely chopped parsley, 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, and 1 tsp. finely chopped chives. Roll into a 1 1/2" log in cling film and chill. Slice it as needed when cold.
Cook the peas in salted water for 3-5 minutes until tender and still very green. Drain and put into a small food processor. You can also mash them with a potato masher for a rougher texture. Add the compound butter, 1 tbs. each of the creme fraiche and cheese, and salt. Puree or mash together. Taste and add more creme fraiche or cheese if needed.
I still do like a cloche shaped hat, after all that experimenting with crazy shapes, it survives and is as reliable as mushy peas.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A Red Pen and Forbidden Rice
"I used to carry a red pen with me when I went shopping. I would keep the sales tag on after I bought a hat, but mark the price down myself before I showed the new purchase to my husband. I was able to by more hats that way." -Anonymous quote from 1000 Hats
I never went to such lengths to fool my husband, but I admit to rounding down when relating a price. When I had my hat shop women would tell me all the time that they never told their husbands what they really paid. One woman said everything she bought cost $50.
Most of these women earned their own living but found that their monetary values were not the same as some men. So instead of the hat, handbag or pair of shoes becoming a forbidden purchase, they adjusted the price tag. It leads to a longer happier life.
As does eating forbidden rice. Forbidden rice is the black rice from China. Many years ago it was reserved for only the Emperors to eat because it was thought to enrich health and ensure longevity, making sure they would live long and healthy lives. It is high in antioxidants and rich in iron and other nutrients. It is also nutty and delicious, and a beautiful, dark purple color when cooked.
Forbidden Rice Pilaf
serves 4 people
1 shallot, diced
2 tbs. olive oil
1 lemon, zested, peeled and supremed
1 cup Lotus Foods forbidden rice
1 1/4 -1 1/2 cups water, or chicken stock
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. chopped parsley
In a small saucepan with a lid, sauté the shallot until soft, add the lemon supremes and rice and stir together for a couple of minutes. Add enough water or chicken stock to cover the rice by 1". Cover with the lid and keep on a low simmer for 25-30 minutes until the rice is cooked. Turn off the heat, let stand covered for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, uncover, add the lemon zest and parsley and fluff with a fork.
Serve the forbidden rice pilaf with a perfectly cooked rib-eye steak and baked black beans.
Not forbidden anymore.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
I never went to such lengths to fool my husband, but I admit to rounding down when relating a price. When I had my hat shop women would tell me all the time that they never told their husbands what they really paid. One woman said everything she bought cost $50.
Most of these women earned their own living but found that their monetary values were not the same as some men. So instead of the hat, handbag or pair of shoes becoming a forbidden purchase, they adjusted the price tag. It leads to a longer happier life.
As does eating forbidden rice. Forbidden rice is the black rice from China. Many years ago it was reserved for only the Emperors to eat because it was thought to enrich health and ensure longevity, making sure they would live long and healthy lives. It is high in antioxidants and rich in iron and other nutrients. It is also nutty and delicious, and a beautiful, dark purple color when cooked.
Forbidden Rice Pilaf
serves 4 people
1 shallot, diced
2 tbs. olive oil
1 lemon, zested, peeled and supremed
1 cup Lotus Foods forbidden rice
1 1/4 -1 1/2 cups water, or chicken stock
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. chopped parsley
In a small saucepan with a lid, sauté the shallot until soft, add the lemon supremes and rice and stir together for a couple of minutes. Add enough water or chicken stock to cover the rice by 1". Cover with the lid and keep on a low simmer for 25-30 minutes until the rice is cooked. Turn off the heat, let stand covered for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, uncover, add the lemon zest and parsley and fluff with a fork.
Serve the forbidden rice pilaf with a perfectly cooked rib-eye steak and baked black beans.
Not forbidden anymore.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Lana Turner's Hat and a Ribeye Steak
"Remind me to be with you the next time you pick out a hat."
"Don't you like it?"
"No. Too much of it."
Clark Gable commenting again on Lana Turner's hat choice in the 1942 movie, "Somewhere I'll Find You. It was rather an odd hat, kind of out of proportion. In the 1940's they got into a pilgrim look, the hats with the tall cone shaped crowns. This one was like that and as Clark Gable said, "Too much of it."
The cut of a hat is everything. It has to fit the head properly, flatter a face and never be too much. A hat can be a magnet for attention but should stop short of getting all the attention.
My attention last night was gotten by a very nice cut of meat, the ribeye steak. About once a month my husband and I share one and it is the just the right amount of meat. This one was especially tender and went really well with Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice. I have a very reliable method for cooking a perfectly medium-rare ribeye steak. We do have to open all the windows doors and turn on a fan but it is worth the end result.
Ribeye Steak
1 12 oz. grass-fed ribeye steak
olive oil
1/2 cup wine
1 tbs. butter
Pat the steak dry and coat on both sides with a little olive oil. Let come to room temperature. Heat a cast iron skillet on high for 4 minutes. Lightly salt the steak, lay salt side down in the hot pan and cook for 5 minutes on the first side. Keep the heat on high. Salt the other side and turn, cook for 4 more minutes. Remove to a board to rest, cover with foil.
Reduce the heat to medium-high, pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Let the sauce reduce stirring a little. Add any of the meat juices from the resting steak. When the sauce thickens and is reduced to a couple of tablespoons turn off the heat and swirl in the butter. Slice the steak across the grain and pour over the sauce.
The perfect amount of ribeye steak. Not too much of it.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"Don't you like it?"
"No. Too much of it."
Clark Gable commenting again on Lana Turner's hat choice in the 1942 movie, "Somewhere I'll Find You. It was rather an odd hat, kind of out of proportion. In the 1940's they got into a pilgrim look, the hats with the tall cone shaped crowns. This one was like that and as Clark Gable said, "Too much of it."
The cut of a hat is everything. It has to fit the head properly, flatter a face and never be too much. A hat can be a magnet for attention but should stop short of getting all the attention.
My attention last night was gotten by a very nice cut of meat, the ribeye steak. About once a month my husband and I share one and it is the just the right amount of meat. This one was especially tender and went really well with Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice. I have a very reliable method for cooking a perfectly medium-rare ribeye steak. We do have to open all the windows doors and turn on a fan but it is worth the end result.
Ribeye Steak
1 12 oz. grass-fed ribeye steak
olive oil
1/2 cup wine
1 tbs. butter
Pat the steak dry and coat on both sides with a little olive oil. Let come to room temperature. Heat a cast iron skillet on high for 4 minutes. Lightly salt the steak, lay salt side down in the hot pan and cook for 5 minutes on the first side. Keep the heat on high. Salt the other side and turn, cook for 4 more minutes. Remove to a board to rest, cover with foil.
Reduce the heat to medium-high, pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Let the sauce reduce stirring a little. Add any of the meat juices from the resting steak. When the sauce thickens and is reduced to a couple of tablespoons turn off the heat and swirl in the butter. Slice the steak across the grain and pour over the sauce.
The perfect amount of ribeye steak. Not too much of it.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Clark Gable and Leftovers
"You must be 25 and fair in the face. You have to be to wear this hat."
Clark Gable was talking to the beautiful Lana Turner in the 1942 movie, "Somewhere I'll Find You". He hadn't seen her yet. He was looking through her wardrobe while he was waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. He realized he was right about 25 and fair of face when he first saw her.
Throughout the movie he was not very complimentary about her hats. At one point he told her she was a girl "with a mistaken daring in hats".
The story was about two brothers who were war correspondents in love with the same girl. Of course Clark Gable steals her affection from his brother but when he doesn't want to alienate his brother forever he dismisses her like yesterday's leftovers.
Leftovers. Wait a minute, they can usually be turned into a really good lunch. Especially if they are succulent slices of stuffed pork loin roast. Perfect for stir-fry.
Leftovers
serves 2 people
2-2" slices leftover stuffed pork loin roast
3 tbs. grape seed oil
1 baby leek, sliced thin
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
1 tbs. oyster sauce
2 tbs. fish sauce
juice of one lime
2 packages mung bean noodles, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Slice the pork roast pieces with the stuffing into 1/4" slices. Set aside. Heat the grape seed oil in a wok. Stir-fry the fennel for a couple of minutes, add the bell pepper and stir-fry until the pepper is tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the pork and stir-fry until the pork is heated through. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir until everything is coated with the sauce. Add the noodles with a little of the soaking water. I just fish them out of the water and don't drain them. Stir until the noodles soak up the sauce. Turn of the heat and mix in the chopped cilantro and salt.
Leftovers, delicious...and in the end Clark Gable got the girl.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Clark Gable was talking to the beautiful Lana Turner in the 1942 movie, "Somewhere I'll Find You". He hadn't seen her yet. He was looking through her wardrobe while he was waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. He realized he was right about 25 and fair of face when he first saw her.
Throughout the movie he was not very complimentary about her hats. At one point he told her she was a girl "with a mistaken daring in hats".
The story was about two brothers who were war correspondents in love with the same girl. Of course Clark Gable steals her affection from his brother but when he doesn't want to alienate his brother forever he dismisses her like yesterday's leftovers.
Leftovers. Wait a minute, they can usually be turned into a really good lunch. Especially if they are succulent slices of stuffed pork loin roast. Perfect for stir-fry.
Leftovers
serves 2 people
2-2" slices leftover stuffed pork loin roast
3 tbs. grape seed oil
1 baby leek, sliced thin
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
1 tbs. oyster sauce
2 tbs. fish sauce
juice of one lime
2 packages mung bean noodles, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Slice the pork roast pieces with the stuffing into 1/4" slices. Set aside. Heat the grape seed oil in a wok. Stir-fry the fennel for a couple of minutes, add the bell pepper and stir-fry until the pepper is tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the pork and stir-fry until the pork is heated through. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir until everything is coated with the sauce. Add the noodles with a little of the soaking water. I just fish them out of the water and don't drain them. Stir until the noodles soak up the sauce. Turn of the heat and mix in the chopped cilantro and salt.
Leftovers, delicious...and in the end Clark Gable got the girl.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Sunday Best and Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
"For churchgoing women, Sunday is an event and they greet it in style. So the fancier the hat, the better." -Patricia Underwood, hat designer, 2003
The Church Ladies. It was always fun to make hats for the ladies who went to church on Sundays. I had one customer who decided she wanted to be different and wear all little hats to church. Everyone else was wearing big portrait style hats. So one by one she would bring in an outfit and I would fashion a small matching hat. I loved that each outfit had its own hat. So often I was trying to help someone make one hat go with everything.
The fancier the better. Feathers, sequins, veiling and COLOR! I have to admit I was inspired by these women to go over the top. My usual inclination is to make attractive serviceable hats. But sometimes you have to go all out.
Sunday is a good day for fancy hats and a special dinner. A butterflied, stuffed and rolled pork loin roast is a delicious and elegant presentation. Serve it with some caramelized baby carrots, a potato galette and a butter lettuce salad with creme fraiche dressing.
Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
serves 6-8 people
3-4 lb. boneless pork loin roast, butterflied, with 1/4" of fat left on
3 slices bacon, diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 bunches fresh spinach, washed and chopped or 1-16 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
2-3 bunches baby carrots, depending on size, cut lengthwise into halves or quarters
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup plum preserves
Open up the pork roast and lay flat. Cover with cling film and pound it to about 1" thick. Cut 5 lengths of kitchen twine for tying after stuffing. Set aside while you prepare the stuffing.
In a heavy bottomed pan, sauté the bacon in a little olive oil. When the bits are crispy, remove to kitchen paper to drain. Cook the shallots in the bacon fat until softened, add the spinach and cook 10-15 minutes until the spinach is tender. Remove to a mixing bowl to cool. When cooled to room temperature, add the bacon bits, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and nutmeg. Mix together and spread evenly on the pork roast, leaving a 1" border all around. Roll the roast back up and tie with the twine.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a roasting pan just big enough to fit the roast. Brown the roast on all sides. Lay fat side up and seam side down in the pan. Strew the carrots on either side of the roast and toss in the fat in the pan. Put the roast in the hot oven. Total cooking time will be 1-1 1/4 hours, basting every 15 minutes with the juices in the pan and stirring the carrots. The drippings will get darker and darker as the carrots caramelize and the roast browns. Remove the carrots after 45 minutes, drizzle them with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. Check the temperature of the meat after 1 hour. It is done when it reads 155-160 degrees. When done, take it out of the pan and cover tightly with foil.
To make the sauce, put the pan on the stove-top on medium-high, de-glaze the pan with the wine and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine reduces and the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the plum preserves and continue to cook until they melt into the sauce.
Remove the twine ties from the roast. Slice the roast in 2" slices exposing the beautiful spiraled stuffing. Arrange the slices on a platter and pour over 1/2 the sauce. Garnish with the caramelized carrots. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
This stuffed pork loin roast is a delicious and elegant presentation. Special enough for Sunday and a Sunday hat!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, including Sunday best, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
The Church Ladies. It was always fun to make hats for the ladies who went to church on Sundays. I had one customer who decided she wanted to be different and wear all little hats to church. Everyone else was wearing big portrait style hats. So one by one she would bring in an outfit and I would fashion a small matching hat. I loved that each outfit had its own hat. So often I was trying to help someone make one hat go with everything.
The fancier the better. Feathers, sequins, veiling and COLOR! I have to admit I was inspired by these women to go over the top. My usual inclination is to make attractive serviceable hats. But sometimes you have to go all out.
Sunday is a good day for fancy hats and a special dinner. A butterflied, stuffed and rolled pork loin roast is a delicious and elegant presentation. Serve it with some caramelized baby carrots, a potato galette and a butter lettuce salad with creme fraiche dressing.
Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
serves 6-8 people
3-4 lb. boneless pork loin roast, butterflied, with 1/4" of fat left on
3 slices bacon, diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 bunches fresh spinach, washed and chopped or 1-16 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
2-3 bunches baby carrots, depending on size, cut lengthwise into halves or quarters
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup plum preserves
Open up the pork roast and lay flat. Cover with cling film and pound it to about 1" thick. Cut 5 lengths of kitchen twine for tying after stuffing. Set aside while you prepare the stuffing.
In a heavy bottomed pan, sauté the bacon in a little olive oil. When the bits are crispy, remove to kitchen paper to drain. Cook the shallots in the bacon fat until softened, add the spinach and cook 10-15 minutes until the spinach is tender. Remove to a mixing bowl to cool. When cooled to room temperature, add the bacon bits, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and nutmeg. Mix together and spread evenly on the pork roast, leaving a 1" border all around. Roll the roast back up and tie with the twine.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a roasting pan just big enough to fit the roast. Brown the roast on all sides. Lay fat side up and seam side down in the pan. Strew the carrots on either side of the roast and toss in the fat in the pan. Put the roast in the hot oven. Total cooking time will be 1-1 1/4 hours, basting every 15 minutes with the juices in the pan and stirring the carrots. The drippings will get darker and darker as the carrots caramelize and the roast browns. Remove the carrots after 45 minutes, drizzle them with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. Check the temperature of the meat after 1 hour. It is done when it reads 155-160 degrees. When done, take it out of the pan and cover tightly with foil.
To make the sauce, put the pan on the stove-top on medium-high, de-glaze the pan with the wine and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine reduces and the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the plum preserves and continue to cook until they melt into the sauce.
Remove the twine ties from the roast. Slice the roast in 2" slices exposing the beautiful spiraled stuffing. Arrange the slices on a platter and pour over 1/2 the sauce. Garnish with the caramelized carrots. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
This stuffed pork loin roast is a delicious and elegant presentation. Special enough for Sunday and a Sunday hat!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, including Sunday best, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Victoriana and A Smoked Salmon Plate
"I remember buying and selling the most beautiful old tin hat box. It was lined inside with red velvet and contained a lovely beaver felt hat, positioned on a bunny. It came complete with a brush, stored in the lid, which even had a place for hatpins. I would never break something like this up and sold it complete to a collector." -Susie, antique shop owner, quote from 1000 Hats, by Norma Shephard.
A beaver fur felt hat was a cherished item and was cared for and stored accordingly. It was a sign of affluence in Victorian times. The fur felt was always brushed smooth after wearing and before placing it in its custom made box. The fact that this hat and box have survived, shows how a good hat will last many lifetimes if treated with care and stored properly.
I don't know what the bunny reference is about. Maybe it was a term used to describe the stand in the hatbox to hold the hat. Anyone know?
One thing I do know, there are three things that should also always stay together like the hat, brush and box. Smoked salmon, potatoes and horseradish cream. I have had this combination prepared different ways, always good. We had this smoked salmon plate for dinner recently. The potatoes are prepared like a potato salad and piled onto the smoked salmon, then drizzled with the cream.
Smoked Salmon plate
serves 4 people
4 oz. smoked salmon slices
1/2 lb. fingerling or creamer potatoes
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbs. capers
1 tsp. chopped dill
sea salt
horseradish cream; 1/4 cup creme fraiche mixed with juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 tbs. freshly grated horseradish, and 1 tsp. sea salt
Arrange the smoked salmon slices on a platter in waves around the plate.
Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain, return to the pot and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let stand 5 minutes then turn out onto a board to cool. When you can handle the potatoes, peel them and put into a mixing bowl. Leave the creamers whole, cut the fingerlings into 1" coins. Dress the potatoes while still warm with the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and capers. When completely cooled, mix in the dill and season with sea salt. Pile the potatoes in the center of the platter of salmon.
Drizzle the salmon with a little of the horseradish cream and serve a small bowl of the cream on the side for horseradish lovers like me. Sprinkle over a few more picked dill fronds for garnish.
My favorite spot where I have enjoyed this smoked salmon plate was at an outdoor, sea-side cafe on the south coast of England in a little Victorian village called Swanage. Every time I have it now I am transported to that spot. During Victorian times I am sure you would have spotted a beaver felt hat. And of course we were having Scottish smoked salmon.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
A beaver fur felt hat was a cherished item and was cared for and stored accordingly. It was a sign of affluence in Victorian times. The fur felt was always brushed smooth after wearing and before placing it in its custom made box. The fact that this hat and box have survived, shows how a good hat will last many lifetimes if treated with care and stored properly.
I don't know what the bunny reference is about. Maybe it was a term used to describe the stand in the hatbox to hold the hat. Anyone know?
One thing I do know, there are three things that should also always stay together like the hat, brush and box. Smoked salmon, potatoes and horseradish cream. I have had this combination prepared different ways, always good. We had this smoked salmon plate for dinner recently. The potatoes are prepared like a potato salad and piled onto the smoked salmon, then drizzled with the cream.
Smoked Salmon plate
serves 4 people
4 oz. smoked salmon slices
1/2 lb. fingerling or creamer potatoes
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbs. capers
1 tsp. chopped dill
sea salt
horseradish cream; 1/4 cup creme fraiche mixed with juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 tbs. freshly grated horseradish, and 1 tsp. sea salt
Arrange the smoked salmon slices on a platter in waves around the plate.
Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain, return to the pot and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let stand 5 minutes then turn out onto a board to cool. When you can handle the potatoes, peel them and put into a mixing bowl. Leave the creamers whole, cut the fingerlings into 1" coins. Dress the potatoes while still warm with the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and capers. When completely cooled, mix in the dill and season with sea salt. Pile the potatoes in the center of the platter of salmon.
Drizzle the salmon with a little of the horseradish cream and serve a small bowl of the cream on the side for horseradish lovers like me. Sprinkle over a few more picked dill fronds for garnish.
My favorite spot where I have enjoyed this smoked salmon plate was at an outdoor, sea-side cafe on the south coast of England in a little Victorian village called Swanage. Every time I have it now I am transported to that spot. During Victorian times I am sure you would have spotted a beaver felt hat. And of course we were having Scottish smoked salmon.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Yoko Ono and Fruit Salad
"I think she's earned the right to wear as many hats as she wants." says Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler.
Yoko Ono is often identifiable by her dramatic millinery, of which she has a dizzying array. She is always wearing a hat literally and metaphorically. She is an artist, musician and icon. I cannot believe she is 78-years old. Have you seen her lately? She appears ageless. Her look these days is black and tailored, the variety in her wardrobe is in her hats.
Speaking of variety, it is the first day of summer and all I can think about is fruit salad. So many different summer fruits to choose from. My kids used to chant, "Fruit salad, yummy yummy", every time I made one. When I was a kid on those really hot summer days, my mother would do a buffet of fruits for dinner, served with cottage cheese. One of my favorite childhood meals.
It's funny, if I leave a pile of fruit on the counter a little will get eaten. If I stand there and cut it up into fruit salad it all disappears. For a party I like to put all different kinds of melon balls together with a little mint or basil. Or all the stone fruits. Mix them and let them macerate in their juices and a sprinkle of cane sugar.
Fruit salad is also tasty with a little Triple Sec drizzled over. Mix in a little lemon, lime or orange juice. The only thing I don't like in fruit salad are bananas. They always look and taste old. Best to eat them in the morning with yogurt.
Supreme a variety of citrus fruit and make an interesting salad to mix with sliced fennel. Or the all berry salad. You get the idea.
"Fruit Salad. Yummy, Yummy!"
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Yoko Ono is often identifiable by her dramatic millinery, of which she has a dizzying array. She is always wearing a hat literally and metaphorically. She is an artist, musician and icon. I cannot believe she is 78-years old. Have you seen her lately? She appears ageless. Her look these days is black and tailored, the variety in her wardrobe is in her hats.
Speaking of variety, it is the first day of summer and all I can think about is fruit salad. So many different summer fruits to choose from. My kids used to chant, "Fruit salad, yummy yummy", every time I made one. When I was a kid on those really hot summer days, my mother would do a buffet of fruits for dinner, served with cottage cheese. One of my favorite childhood meals.
It's funny, if I leave a pile of fruit on the counter a little will get eaten. If I stand there and cut it up into fruit salad it all disappears. For a party I like to put all different kinds of melon balls together with a little mint or basil. Or all the stone fruits. Mix them and let them macerate in their juices and a sprinkle of cane sugar.
Fruit salad is also tasty with a little Triple Sec drizzled over. Mix in a little lemon, lime or orange juice. The only thing I don't like in fruit salad are bananas. They always look and taste old. Best to eat them in the morning with yogurt.
Supreme a variety of citrus fruit and make an interesting salad to mix with sliced fennel. Or the all berry salad. You get the idea.
"Fruit Salad. Yummy, Yummy!"
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Millinery Law and Fish Sandwiches
"Wearing a hat to call at the home of a friend was a sign of respect, out of which developed the rule that a woman might not wear a hat indoors after 5 o'clock. This was to insure that a visitor did not overstay her welcome and interfere with the supper hour of her hostess." From 1000 hats, by Norma Shephard.
This was a rule I had never heard of and it explains why you never saw hats indoors in the evening. Lots of feather hair adornments, barrettes, jeweled clips, but a hat was not permitted indoors after 5. Such a crazy scene, women rushing home before 5 o'clock to take off their hats. What would happen I wonder if you had your hat on indoors after 5? Hat police? Did everyone know this rule?
Well I guess it would be good if your friends left by 5 o'clock so you could have your supper. Especially if you had been looking forward to eating fish sandwiches.
Fish Sandwiches
serves 2 people
1 large rock cod fillet
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. butter
4 slices gluten-free bread
1/4 cup homemade tartar sauce; 1/4 cup Nayonaise mixed with 1 tbs. capers, 1 tbs. diced dill pickles, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 tsp. salt
1 ripe avocado
2 small handfuls micro-greens
Pull any pin-bones out of the fish fillet. Put the buttermilk in one shallow dish and the flour and salt into another. Heat the olive oil and butter in a sauté pan. Get the pan hot before you dredge the fish in first the buttermilk, then flour, then flour again. Immediately lay the coated fish in the hot pan. Cook on the first side until the crust is golden, about 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side. Remove from the pan to a board. Cut the fillet in 1/2 before you make the sandwiches. Lightly toast the bread and slather with the tartar sauce. Add the fish, slices of avocado, and a handful of micro-greens.
Share your fish sandwiches with a friend, you need not wear hats. Actually you aren't allowed to...it was a rule.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
This was a rule I had never heard of and it explains why you never saw hats indoors in the evening. Lots of feather hair adornments, barrettes, jeweled clips, but a hat was not permitted indoors after 5. Such a crazy scene, women rushing home before 5 o'clock to take off their hats. What would happen I wonder if you had your hat on indoors after 5? Hat police? Did everyone know this rule?
Well I guess it would be good if your friends left by 5 o'clock so you could have your supper. Especially if you had been looking forward to eating fish sandwiches.
Fish Sandwiches
serves 2 people
1 large rock cod fillet
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. butter
4 slices gluten-free bread
1/4 cup homemade tartar sauce; 1/4 cup Nayonaise mixed with 1 tbs. capers, 1 tbs. diced dill pickles, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 tsp. salt
1 ripe avocado
2 small handfuls micro-greens
Pull any pin-bones out of the fish fillet. Put the buttermilk in one shallow dish and the flour and salt into another. Heat the olive oil and butter in a sauté pan. Get the pan hot before you dredge the fish in first the buttermilk, then flour, then flour again. Immediately lay the coated fish in the hot pan. Cook on the first side until the crust is golden, about 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side. Remove from the pan to a board. Cut the fillet in 1/2 before you make the sandwiches. Lightly toast the bread and slather with the tartar sauce. Add the fish, slices of avocado, and a handful of micro-greens.
Share your fish sandwiches with a friend, you need not wear hats. Actually you aren't allowed to...it was a rule.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Life Magazine and Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
"Life magazine published a service feature on made-at-home hats in 1942. 'Life editors are well aware that the strategy of hat-making has as many pitfalls as the strategy of invasion', was the sobering explanation given along with the instruction. Nevertheless, if a woman followed the step-by step details, she could create 13 hats for $10, using buckram, flowers and ribbons from the five-and-dime."
I am quoting from the Jody Shield's book "Hats", which was published in 1991, the same year I started my hat business. She talks about hats from the 1920's-1960's. All eras that I have used for inspiration. In the 1940's the war dominated everything, creating shortages in materials and even comparing hat-making to invasion!
I think there were a lot of do it yourself projects, which is why step-by-step instructions were so helpful. A trifle daunting if you are talking about strategy, but at least you could have an entire hat wardrobe that you made yourself. For $10.
I do follow my own instructions when making a hat because there is some strategy involved. You do want to do things in a proper order. Cooking is just like that. If you follow directions and have a strategy things come out right, especially with doughs and baking.
This pizza dough is completely reliable. Just follow these step-by-step instructions. If you make it at home, you can have two pizzas for $10. The cost of 13 hats that you made yourself in 1942.
Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
makes 1-18" pizza, or 2-9"
Make a sponge by mixing together in a ceramic bowl with a wooden spoon;
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 packet of Quick-Rise yeast, (really rises more than regular yeast when using gluten free flour)
1/4 cup gluten-free Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
Let rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, then add;
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tbs. milk
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour
Always use a wooden spoon to mix this dough. Mix until it comes together and forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. You aren't developing the gluten as in wheat flour, so don't over-knead. Put the dough into a clean oiled ceramic bowl, roll it in the oil to coat, cover with a clean cloth and put it in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees. Put a pizza brick on the bottom rack.
Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and knead again until smooth. Pat it into a disk and roll into 1 big 18" circle or cut the dough in half and make two 9" circles. I usually make the 9" pizzas, easier to work with in my small kitchen and I can make two different toppings.
Put the rolled circle on a pizza paddle or cutting board that has a sprinkling of flour or corn meal to help keep the dough from sticking. Work quickly and layer on your toppings. A sauce base, veggies or meat, and cheese. This is where you can be creative.
Loosen the pizza with a thin spatula so it slides easily on the paddle or board. Slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone and bake the 18" pizza for 12-15 minutes and the 9" pizzas for 10-12 minutes. The crust and cheese should be browned and bubbly. Let sit a couple of minutes before cutting into slices.
Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce with prosciutto, sliced yellow peppers and a Swiss cheese.
Red Bell Pepper Sauce with sliced red peppers, mozzarella and basil.
Or visit this past post for two more pizzas.
I use a lot of bell pepper sauces as a substitute for tomato sauce because of an allergy I have, feel free to substitute. Same with fennel instead of onions. Like I said, follow the directions for the pizza dough, then you can create your own pizzas. Just like those 13 hats.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
I am quoting from the Jody Shield's book "Hats", which was published in 1991, the same year I started my hat business. She talks about hats from the 1920's-1960's. All eras that I have used for inspiration. In the 1940's the war dominated everything, creating shortages in materials and even comparing hat-making to invasion!
I think there were a lot of do it yourself projects, which is why step-by-step instructions were so helpful. A trifle daunting if you are talking about strategy, but at least you could have an entire hat wardrobe that you made yourself. For $10.
I do follow my own instructions when making a hat because there is some strategy involved. You do want to do things in a proper order. Cooking is just like that. If you follow directions and have a strategy things come out right, especially with doughs and baking.
This pizza dough is completely reliable. Just follow these step-by-step instructions. If you make it at home, you can have two pizzas for $10. The cost of 13 hats that you made yourself in 1942.
Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
makes 1-18" pizza, or 2-9"
Make a sponge by mixing together in a ceramic bowl with a wooden spoon;
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 packet of Quick-Rise yeast, (really rises more than regular yeast when using gluten free flour)
1/4 cup gluten-free Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
Let rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, then add;
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tbs. milk
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour
Always use a wooden spoon to mix this dough. Mix until it comes together and forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. You aren't developing the gluten as in wheat flour, so don't over-knead. Put the dough into a clean oiled ceramic bowl, roll it in the oil to coat, cover with a clean cloth and put it in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees. Put a pizza brick on the bottom rack.
Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and knead again until smooth. Pat it into a disk and roll into 1 big 18" circle or cut the dough in half and make two 9" circles. I usually make the 9" pizzas, easier to work with in my small kitchen and I can make two different toppings.
Put the rolled circle on a pizza paddle or cutting board that has a sprinkling of flour or corn meal to help keep the dough from sticking. Work quickly and layer on your toppings. A sauce base, veggies or meat, and cheese. This is where you can be creative.
Loosen the pizza with a thin spatula so it slides easily on the paddle or board. Slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone and bake the 18" pizza for 12-15 minutes and the 9" pizzas for 10-12 minutes. The crust and cheese should be browned and bubbly. Let sit a couple of minutes before cutting into slices.
Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce with prosciutto, sliced yellow peppers and a Swiss cheese.
Red Bell Pepper Sauce with sliced red peppers, mozzarella and basil.
Or visit this past post for two more pizzas.
I use a lot of bell pepper sauces as a substitute for tomato sauce because of an allergy I have, feel free to substitute. Same with fennel instead of onions. Like I said, follow the directions for the pizza dough, then you can create your own pizzas. Just like those 13 hats.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
John Barrymore and Raw Vegetable Salad
"Three things a woman can make out of anything...a salad, a hat, and an argument."
Well Mr. Barrymore, you got two out of three right. Hats and food. But arguers are arguers. I stopped arguing many years ago, big waste of time. And I have met many argumentative men, maybe more than women.
I do know that I can make a salad or a hat out of anything. In the 1930's, milliners were literally making hats out of whatever was around. Everything but the kitchen sink, from plastic dogs to dangling heart pins, sprouted on hats.
Salads and hats are such a big part of my day. I frequently stop working on a hat to go make a salad. That is what I really like about working at home. The fun thing is to pull all the veggies out of the fridge and combine as many different types and colors as you can. When I go to Monterey Market I first visit the aisle with the organic baby vegetables. Get one of everything.
Raw Vegetable Salad
serves 2-4 people
5 assorted colors of baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 baby fennel bulb, sliced thin
2-3 radishes, sliced thin
10-12 assorted baby squash, sliced
3-4 baby turnips, sliced
2 Chiogga, or yellow beets, sliced thin on a mandolin
1 Persian cucumber, sliced thin
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. sea salt
2 handfuls of assorted baby lettuces
1 handful of dandelion greens
1/4 cup picked parsley leaves
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
sprinkle of sea salt
Mix together the carrots through the cucumber. Marinate with the lemon juice, vinegar, thyme and salt for 30 minutes, tossing the vegetables a couple of times. In a separate bowl mix the greens, toss with the olive oil, vinegar and sprinkle of salt. Divide the greens among 2-4 plates and top with the marinated vegetables.
Raw vegetable salad, make it with whatever you have around...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Well Mr. Barrymore, you got two out of three right. Hats and food. But arguers are arguers. I stopped arguing many years ago, big waste of time. And I have met many argumentative men, maybe more than women.
I do know that I can make a salad or a hat out of anything. In the 1930's, milliners were literally making hats out of whatever was around. Everything but the kitchen sink, from plastic dogs to dangling heart pins, sprouted on hats.
Salads and hats are such a big part of my day. I frequently stop working on a hat to go make a salad. That is what I really like about working at home. The fun thing is to pull all the veggies out of the fridge and combine as many different types and colors as you can. When I go to Monterey Market I first visit the aisle with the organic baby vegetables. Get one of everything.
Raw Vegetable Salad
serves 2-4 people
5 assorted colors of baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 baby fennel bulb, sliced thin
2-3 radishes, sliced thin
10-12 assorted baby squash, sliced
3-4 baby turnips, sliced
2 Chiogga, or yellow beets, sliced thin on a mandolin
1 Persian cucumber, sliced thin
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. sea salt
2 handfuls of assorted baby lettuces
1 handful of dandelion greens
1/4 cup picked parsley leaves
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
sprinkle of sea salt
Mix together the carrots through the cucumber. Marinate with the lemon juice, vinegar, thyme and salt for 30 minutes, tossing the vegetables a couple of times. In a separate bowl mix the greens, toss with the olive oil, vinegar and sprinkle of salt. Divide the greens among 2-4 plates and top with the marinated vegetables.
Raw vegetable salad, make it with whatever you have around...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Vogue 1942 and Kale Chips
"Vogue introduced millinery for Fall 1942 as having 'character, consideration, distinction, and no daftness.'"
They also called the hats of the day hardly inspirational. This was during the war and it was a sober time. There was material rationing and milliners were without the influence of Paris or foreign expositions. They were moving away from the bizarre hats of the 1930's.
This is actually a good discription of most of the hats I make. A little daftnes at times, but mostly character, consideration and distinction. Character; they make a statement, they are well made and stand the test of time. Consideration; form follows function, I like them to serve a purpose, whether it is keeping your head warm or protection from the sun. Distinction; they are recognized as quality items.
In some ways these are also sober times. But, do not despair, there is also a healthy interest in the frivolous, hence the popularity of "fascinators" and cocktail hats. A little daftness.
I would call kale a sober green. Dark in color, rich in character. Hearty, sturdy and so good for you. Let us be a little daft and make it into a snack food, crunchy kale chips.
Kale chips
1 bunch of kale, washed and dried
olive oil
sea salt
Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees
Cut the rib out of the kale leaf and tear it into 4 pieces. Toss the leaves in olive oil and sea salt and spread in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes until crispy.
Snack away!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
They also called the hats of the day hardly inspirational. This was during the war and it was a sober time. There was material rationing and milliners were without the influence of Paris or foreign expositions. They were moving away from the bizarre hats of the 1930's.
This is actually a good discription of most of the hats I make. A little daftnes at times, but mostly character, consideration and distinction. Character; they make a statement, they are well made and stand the test of time. Consideration; form follows function, I like them to serve a purpose, whether it is keeping your head warm or protection from the sun. Distinction; they are recognized as quality items.
In some ways these are also sober times. But, do not despair, there is also a healthy interest in the frivolous, hence the popularity of "fascinators" and cocktail hats. A little daftness.
I would call kale a sober green. Dark in color, rich in character. Hearty, sturdy and so good for you. Let us be a little daft and make it into a snack food, crunchy kale chips.
Kale chips
1 bunch of kale, washed and dried
olive oil
sea salt
Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees
Cut the rib out of the kale leaf and tear it into 4 pieces. Toss the leaves in olive oil and sea salt and spread in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes until crispy.
Snack away!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The 1950's and Crispy Potatoes
"Atop her head sat a hat shaped like a cartwheel, a meringue, a bell, a champagne cork, a pie plate, or an upside down mixing bowl."
This is how hats from the 1950's were described in a book I just purchased called simply "HATS", by Jody Shields. It is a history of hats from the 1920's thru the 1960's. Great inspiration for me and lots of points of view and quotes about hats.
The hats of this era were not very flattering. Someone even accused male milliners of making women look ridiculous on purpose. By the end of the 1950's women were starting to rebel against wearing hats. They really didn't start getting attention again until the 90's. It was startling, after 200 years of hat wearing.
This quote draws many references to food related items. Sometimes hats and food do come together in a strange way. Food AS hats has never been a favorite of mine. So let's talk about food as food.
I have been cooking duck breasts lately, and have heard about frying potatoes in the duck fat that you render out from the breasts. I prepared potatoes like that recently and they were the best crispy potatoes I have ever eaten. From now on, every time I cook a duck breast, it is being served with these crispy potatoes.
Crispy Potatoes
serves 2 people
10-12 Russian fingerling potatoes
1 tbs. salt
rendered fat from 2 duck breasts
Boil the whole potatoes in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool, slice into 1" thick coins.
Cook the duck breasts, remove from pan. Pour off the clear fat into a clean sauté pan, leaving any bits at the bottom of the first pan. Heat the fat, add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown, stirring them frequently.
That's it, serve these crispy potatoes with your sliced duck breast and a favorite salad.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
This is how hats from the 1950's were described in a book I just purchased called simply "HATS", by Jody Shields. It is a history of hats from the 1920's thru the 1960's. Great inspiration for me and lots of points of view and quotes about hats.
The hats of this era were not very flattering. Someone even accused male milliners of making women look ridiculous on purpose. By the end of the 1950's women were starting to rebel against wearing hats. They really didn't start getting attention again until the 90's. It was startling, after 200 years of hat wearing.
This quote draws many references to food related items. Sometimes hats and food do come together in a strange way. Food AS hats has never been a favorite of mine. So let's talk about food as food.
I have been cooking duck breasts lately, and have heard about frying potatoes in the duck fat that you render out from the breasts. I prepared potatoes like that recently and they were the best crispy potatoes I have ever eaten. From now on, every time I cook a duck breast, it is being served with these crispy potatoes.
Crispy Potatoes
serves 2 people
10-12 Russian fingerling potatoes
1 tbs. salt
rendered fat from 2 duck breasts
Boil the whole potatoes in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool, slice into 1" thick coins.
Cook the duck breasts, remove from pan. Pour off the clear fat into a clean sauté pan, leaving any bits at the bottom of the first pan. Heat the fat, add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown, stirring them frequently.
That's it, serve these crispy potatoes with your sliced duck breast and a favorite salad.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, June 13, 2011
A Feather in Her Hat and a Perfect Peach Tart
"I often wonder what goes on in those ridiculous hats of hers."
One thing that I have realized about the movies of the 1930's is the number of young actors who would become very famous in the next two decades and headline movies of their own. I just watched "A Feather in Her Hat", made in 1935. I had never heard of it, but I started seeing all these familiar faces and was intrigued. Basil Rathbone, Billie Burke and David Niven among them.
A well known stage actress, Pauline Lord, plays a cockney woman who has a plan to raise her son to be a gentleman. The title comes from her penchant for wearing feathers on her hats and the play on words, a feather in your cap. Her plan works. Her son becomes involved with a wealthy theater family and becomes a successful playwright. He was certainly the feather in her hat.
A movie worth watching and of course lots of the fashion of the day. Some outrageous sleeves on some of the gowns and some lovely blouses. And of course, the hats.
I felt as if I had a feather in my hat the other day when I finally made the perfect peach tart. I kept trying to find the best way to bake it with a creamy filling and the perfect crust. I think I've got it.
Perfect Peach Tart
makes 1-10" tart
tart shell
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 cup cane sugar
4 oz. very cold butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup ice water
Sift together the dry ingredients. Working quickly, use your fingers or a pastry blender to combine the butter with the flour mixture. Sprinkle over the ice water and bring the dough together. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand, scrape it together and repeat a couple of times. Form into a flat disc and wrap in cling film. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Filling
1 tub mascarpone cheese
3 tbs. cane sugar
zest and juice of one lemon
3 ripe yellow peaches, cut into slices and macerate in 3 tbs. sugar and the juice of a lemon
Mix the cheese, sugar and lemon together until creamy.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
The best surface to work on with pastry dough is marble. You can buy a marble slab for about $30 at Sur la Table. Well worth it for making dough. Roll the chilled dough to fit a 10" tart pan. Use a little flour mixed with sugar to roll in, it helps keep the dough from sticking. Carefully fit the dough into the tart pan and trim the edges by rolling over it with your rolling pin. These dough bits make tasty little cookies. Gather them together, roll out in sugar and cut with a round fluted 2" cutter. Bake for 8 minutes until golden.
Spread the cheese mixture in the bottom of the prepared tart shell. Arrange the peaches around the edge of the tart and overlap in a rose pattern in the center. Drizzle over any peach juices.
Bake in the bottom part of the hot oven for 35-45 minutes until the tart shell is golden brown and the cheese is puffed up. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before unmolding.
Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche.
A feather in my hat, the perfect peach tart.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
One thing that I have realized about the movies of the 1930's is the number of young actors who would become very famous in the next two decades and headline movies of their own. I just watched "A Feather in Her Hat", made in 1935. I had never heard of it, but I started seeing all these familiar faces and was intrigued. Basil Rathbone, Billie Burke and David Niven among them.
A well known stage actress, Pauline Lord, plays a cockney woman who has a plan to raise her son to be a gentleman. The title comes from her penchant for wearing feathers on her hats and the play on words, a feather in your cap. Her plan works. Her son becomes involved with a wealthy theater family and becomes a successful playwright. He was certainly the feather in her hat.
A movie worth watching and of course lots of the fashion of the day. Some outrageous sleeves on some of the gowns and some lovely blouses. And of course, the hats.
I felt as if I had a feather in my hat the other day when I finally made the perfect peach tart. I kept trying to find the best way to bake it with a creamy filling and the perfect crust. I think I've got it.
Perfect Peach Tart
makes 1-10" tart
tart shell
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 cup cane sugar
4 oz. very cold butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup ice water
Sift together the dry ingredients. Working quickly, use your fingers or a pastry blender to combine the butter with the flour mixture. Sprinkle over the ice water and bring the dough together. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand, scrape it together and repeat a couple of times. Form into a flat disc and wrap in cling film. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Filling
1 tub mascarpone cheese
3 tbs. cane sugar
zest and juice of one lemon
3 ripe yellow peaches, cut into slices and macerate in 3 tbs. sugar and the juice of a lemon
Mix the cheese, sugar and lemon together until creamy.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
The best surface to work on with pastry dough is marble. You can buy a marble slab for about $30 at Sur la Table. Well worth it for making dough. Roll the chilled dough to fit a 10" tart pan. Use a little flour mixed with sugar to roll in, it helps keep the dough from sticking. Carefully fit the dough into the tart pan and trim the edges by rolling over it with your rolling pin. These dough bits make tasty little cookies. Gather them together, roll out in sugar and cut with a round fluted 2" cutter. Bake for 8 minutes until golden.
Spread the cheese mixture in the bottom of the prepared tart shell. Arrange the peaches around the edge of the tart and overlap in a rose pattern in the center. Drizzle over any peach juices.
Bake in the bottom part of the hot oven for 35-45 minutes until the tart shell is golden brown and the cheese is puffed up. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before unmolding.
Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche.
A feather in my hat, the perfect peach tart.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Rana Hats and Rex Sole
"If I was a hat I would want to be one of yours."
I read this quote on one of my Milliners of Etsy colleague's web-sites and thought it was a very nice compliment. MOE is a group of like-minded milliners who are exploring hat-making and sharing techniques and ideas. We all have shops on Etsy selling our creations.
This compliment was from Rana Hats. Rana lives and works in Israel, and makes lovely hats. And she has a section on her web-site for recipes...hats and food!
If I were Rex Sole I would want to be cooked exactly the way I just prepared it for lunch. Light crunchy crust and a lemon, butter caper sauce. My grandson, J.J., once said to me "Nonna, I like anything you make with the lemon, butter, caper sauce." Thanks J.J.! It also helps to have the freshest fish from Monterey Fish Co., and I love any kind of sole.
Rex Sole with Lemon, Butter, Caper Sauce
serves 2 people
1/2 lb. Rex Sole, about 3 big fillets
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose, gluten-flour(Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp. salt
3 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup white wine
juice of one lemon
2 tsp. capers
Set up a dipping station so you can coat the sole with the buttermilk and flour. Season the flour with the salt. Dip the sole briefly in the buttermilk, shake off excess and dredge in the flour. Place on a clean plate, do the same with the rest of the sole, then dredge them in the flour one more time. They should be evenly coated with a nice layer of the flour.
Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tbs. of the butter in a wide heavy bottomed saucepan. You want the heat medium-high. When it starts to sizzle, lay in the sole fillets. Fry on the first side 4-5 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Turn and fry the other side, about 3-4 minutes, or until golden and the fish feels firm. Place on a heated platter in the oven while you make the sauce.
Lemon, Butter, Caper Sauce
Keep the pan on medium-high heat and de-glaze the pan with the wine. Stir and get the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the lemon juice and continue reducing the sauce until it thickens. When you have only a few tablespoons, turn off the heat, melt in the butter, and add the capers. Spoon the sauce over the sole when you serve.
We had the rex sole with a crunchy, fresh salad of romaine lettuce and creme fraiche dressing. A delicious light lunch...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
I read this quote on one of my Milliners of Etsy colleague's web-sites and thought it was a very nice compliment. MOE is a group of like-minded milliners who are exploring hat-making and sharing techniques and ideas. We all have shops on Etsy selling our creations.
This compliment was from Rana Hats. Rana lives and works in Israel, and makes lovely hats. And she has a section on her web-site for recipes...hats and food!
If I were Rex Sole I would want to be cooked exactly the way I just prepared it for lunch. Light crunchy crust and a lemon, butter caper sauce. My grandson, J.J., once said to me "Nonna, I like anything you make with the lemon, butter, caper sauce." Thanks J.J.! It also helps to have the freshest fish from Monterey Fish Co., and I love any kind of sole.
Rex Sole with Lemon, Butter, Caper Sauce
serves 2 people
1/2 lb. Rex Sole, about 3 big fillets
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose, gluten-flour(Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp. salt
3 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. butter
1/2 cup white wine
juice of one lemon
2 tsp. capers
Set up a dipping station so you can coat the sole with the buttermilk and flour. Season the flour with the salt. Dip the sole briefly in the buttermilk, shake off excess and dredge in the flour. Place on a clean plate, do the same with the rest of the sole, then dredge them in the flour one more time. They should be evenly coated with a nice layer of the flour.
Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tbs. of the butter in a wide heavy bottomed saucepan. You want the heat medium-high. When it starts to sizzle, lay in the sole fillets. Fry on the first side 4-5 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Turn and fry the other side, about 3-4 minutes, or until golden and the fish feels firm. Place on a heated platter in the oven while you make the sauce.
Lemon, Butter, Caper Sauce
Keep the pan on medium-high heat and de-glaze the pan with the wine. Stir and get the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the lemon juice and continue reducing the sauce until it thickens. When you have only a few tablespoons, turn off the heat, melt in the butter, and add the capers. Spoon the sauce over the sole when you serve.
We had the rex sole with a crunchy, fresh salad of romaine lettuce and creme fraiche dressing. A delicious light lunch...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
So Big and Asparagus in Orange Sauce
"I used to get 25 cents each for sketching hats...at Bernsteins."
Edna Ferber won a Pulitzer Prize in 1925 for her novel "So Big". It tells the story of a group of Dutch farmers who settle outside of Chicago. There are three movie versions of the book.
This quote is from the 1932 adaption starring Barbara Stanwyck as the farm wife and Bette Davis in a supporting role as an artist and illustrator. It was 1932 and Bette Davis' character was asking for $1500 for an illustration for a big company that 'So Big' works for. A lot of money, which is why she refers back to the days when she sketched hats for 25 cents each. That would be a lot of hats to sketch.
As with all the movies made in the 1930's, there is great style. Miss Stanwyck and Miss Davis are both so young, a treat to see them developing their trademark ways. And good hat-watching.
The family farmed asparagus and it became so well known that it was mentioned by name on the menus of top restaurants. Very much like the trend today of knowing who is growing your food. One of my favorite sauces to cook with asparagus is made from oranges. Delicious with a Niman Ranch pork chop.
Asparagus in Orange Sauce
serves 4 people
1 lb. asparagus spears
3 tbs. olive oil
1 baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 shallot, chopped fine
juice of 2 oranges
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
Wash the asparagus, trim 1/2" off the bottom of the spears, peel the bottom half of the asparagus spears with a vegetable peeler. Steam the asparagus for 5-7 minutes until just tender. Shock them in ice water to keep them bright green.
In a shallow wide saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil. Gently sauté the fennel bulb and shallot until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the orange juice, zest, wine, fresh thyme leaves and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes.
When the sauce is reduced and thickened, add the asparagus and coat with the sauce. Serve with any grilled meat.
"So Big" has a good moral to the story that time hasn't diminished. Appreciate art, don't be afraid of hard work and money isn't everything. And eat your asparagus, especially with orange sauce.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Edna Ferber won a Pulitzer Prize in 1925 for her novel "So Big". It tells the story of a group of Dutch farmers who settle outside of Chicago. There are three movie versions of the book.
This quote is from the 1932 adaption starring Barbara Stanwyck as the farm wife and Bette Davis in a supporting role as an artist and illustrator. It was 1932 and Bette Davis' character was asking for $1500 for an illustration for a big company that 'So Big' works for. A lot of money, which is why she refers back to the days when she sketched hats for 25 cents each. That would be a lot of hats to sketch.
As with all the movies made in the 1930's, there is great style. Miss Stanwyck and Miss Davis are both so young, a treat to see them developing their trademark ways. And good hat-watching.
The family farmed asparagus and it became so well known that it was mentioned by name on the menus of top restaurants. Very much like the trend today of knowing who is growing your food. One of my favorite sauces to cook with asparagus is made from oranges. Delicious with a Niman Ranch pork chop.
Asparagus in Orange Sauce
serves 4 people
1 lb. asparagus spears
3 tbs. olive oil
1 baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 shallot, chopped fine
juice of 2 oranges
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
Wash the asparagus, trim 1/2" off the bottom of the spears, peel the bottom half of the asparagus spears with a vegetable peeler. Steam the asparagus for 5-7 minutes until just tender. Shock them in ice water to keep them bright green.
In a shallow wide saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil. Gently sauté the fennel bulb and shallot until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the orange juice, zest, wine, fresh thyme leaves and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes.
When the sauce is reduced and thickened, add the asparagus and coat with the sauce. Serve with any grilled meat.
"So Big" has a good moral to the story that time hasn't diminished. Appreciate art, don't be afraid of hard work and money isn't everything. And eat your asparagus, especially with orange sauce.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Julia Child and French Lentil Soup
"I saw a notice on the Embassy billboard. Hat-making lessons."
"You like hats."
"I do, I do like hats."
later...
"Are you still making hats?"
"Oh no, I abandoned it."
Julia Child was trying to find something to do in Paris while her husband Paul worked at the Embassy. She tried hat-making lessons and found they were not for her. She was just not good at making hats. The next thing she tried was cooking school and that is where she blossomed. She did still wear hats.
In the movie "Julie and Julia", the little hat studio she works in reminds me of home. Same with the French kitchens. And I especially love the scene where she is in the kitchenware shop just flinging copper pots into her basket.
Since Julia once tried my profession, I wanted to feature French lentil soup and try her recipe. Lentil and bean soups are favorites of mine. Full of protein, 2/3 as much as equal amounts of beef or chicken, and a lot of necessary vitamins and minerals. Lentil soup goes back to Biblical times.
French Lentil Soup
serves 4-6 people
3 tbs. olive oil
1 baby fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 small leek, chopped
2 carrots,chopped
3 tbs. rice flour
6 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups green French lentils
1 bunch baby turnips, quartered
1 tsp. salt
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Sauté the fennel, leek and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the rice flour, stir and add 1 cup of the stock. Cook until the flour is dissolved. Add the rest of the stock, the bay leaf, lentils and the turnips. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1-1 1/4 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. When the lentils are tender, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and puree with an immersion blender. Add the salt and taste for seasoning. Add a little more stock if it seems a too thick.
Garnish
1 tbs. butter
1 carrot, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 1/4" slice of cooked ham, diced
herb butter, 3 tbs. softened butter mixed with finely chopped parsley and fresh thyme leaves
Sauté the carrot, zucchini and ham in the butter until caramelized. Use them to garnish the lentil soup along with a tsp. of the herb butter.
Here's to Julia, just food, no hat-making, and to me, a little of both...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"You like hats."
"I do, I do like hats."
later...
"Are you still making hats?"
"Oh no, I abandoned it."
Julia Child was trying to find something to do in Paris while her husband Paul worked at the Embassy. She tried hat-making lessons and found they were not for her. She was just not good at making hats. The next thing she tried was cooking school and that is where she blossomed. She did still wear hats.
In the movie "Julie and Julia", the little hat studio she works in reminds me of home. Same with the French kitchens. And I especially love the scene where she is in the kitchenware shop just flinging copper pots into her basket.
Since Julia once tried my profession, I wanted to feature French lentil soup and try her recipe. Lentil and bean soups are favorites of mine. Full of protein, 2/3 as much as equal amounts of beef or chicken, and a lot of necessary vitamins and minerals. Lentil soup goes back to Biblical times.
French Lentil Soup
serves 4-6 people
3 tbs. olive oil
1 baby fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 small leek, chopped
2 carrots,chopped
3 tbs. rice flour
6 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups green French lentils
1 bunch baby turnips, quartered
1 tsp. salt
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Sauté the fennel, leek and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the rice flour, stir and add 1 cup of the stock. Cook until the flour is dissolved. Add the rest of the stock, the bay leaf, lentils and the turnips. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1-1 1/4 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. When the lentils are tender, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and puree with an immersion blender. Add the salt and taste for seasoning. Add a little more stock if it seems a too thick.
Garnish
1 tbs. butter
1 carrot, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 1/4" slice of cooked ham, diced
herb butter, 3 tbs. softened butter mixed with finely chopped parsley and fresh thyme leaves
Sauté the carrot, zucchini and ham in the butter until caramelized. Use them to garnish the lentil soup along with a tsp. of the herb butter.
Here's to Julia, just food, no hat-making, and to me, a little of both...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Spencer Tracy and Meatballs
"Last time we jawed, you gave me the high hat...and I'm sick of this high hat."
Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow starred in a few movies together in the 1930's. This quote is from the 1936 movie "Riffraff". Tracy plays a dock worker and Jean Harlow works in a saloon. The movie is about their relationship and a good view of life at the time.
The quote is full of slang. 'Jawed' means talked, and high hat refers to being arrogant and thinking you are above someone. It came from the fact that the higher a man's top hat, the higher his position was in society. Kind of funny, because Tracy is accused of giving someone the high hat treatment, when in a review of the movie that I read he is described as a vain lunkhead. There are all levels of arrogance, in all parts of society.
I do like this movie, Jean Harlow is adorable and can hold her own in the wisecrack department. I might describe Spencer Tracy as a meatball, another word for lunkhead. But it all works out in the end.
Let's think of meatballs in another way. As delicious balls of meat and herbs poached in a sweet flavorful sauce.
Meatballs
makes about 60-1" meatballs, serves 4-6 people
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
3 tbs. chopped parsley
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup gluten-free oats, coarsely ground and soaked in 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup rice flour for dredging
Mix all the ingredients(except the rice flour) together with your hands. Form into 1" balls and roll in the rice flour. Chill the balls for 1/2 hour in the fridge. At this point they can be prepared a couple of ways. Poached in a sauce or browned for Swedish style meatballs.
I love to poach them, they are melt in your mouth tender. You can use any basic tomato sauce or since I can't eat tomato sauce, I make a red bell pepper sauce with anchovies.
Red Bell Pepper Sauce
4 red bell peppers
6 anchovy fillets
1 small fennel bulb, diced
1 tsp. fresh sweet marjoram leaves, chopped
1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Roast the bell peppers for 45-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. When they are cool enough to handle, peel, seed and puree. Melt the anchovy fillets in a little oil in a saucepan with a lid, or a dutch oven big enough to hold 1 layer of meatballs. Sauté the fennel with the anchovies until tender. Add the herbs, red wine, sugar and salt. Cook together for 3-4 minutes. Add the bell pepper puree and heat to a simmer. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little water. Gently lay the meatballs in the sauce in a single layer. Use the end of a wooden spoon to move them around so they all fit. Cover and gently simmer for 30 minutes until the meatballs feel firm.
Serve over gluten-free pasta with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano.
Two kinds of meatballs, Spencer Tracy and poached...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow starred in a few movies together in the 1930's. This quote is from the 1936 movie "Riffraff". Tracy plays a dock worker and Jean Harlow works in a saloon. The movie is about their relationship and a good view of life at the time.
The quote is full of slang. 'Jawed' means talked, and high hat refers to being arrogant and thinking you are above someone. It came from the fact that the higher a man's top hat, the higher his position was in society. Kind of funny, because Tracy is accused of giving someone the high hat treatment, when in a review of the movie that I read he is described as a vain lunkhead. There are all levels of arrogance, in all parts of society.
I do like this movie, Jean Harlow is adorable and can hold her own in the wisecrack department. I might describe Spencer Tracy as a meatball, another word for lunkhead. But it all works out in the end.
Let's think of meatballs in another way. As delicious balls of meat and herbs poached in a sweet flavorful sauce.
Meatballs
makes about 60-1" meatballs, serves 4-6 people
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
3 tbs. chopped parsley
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup gluten-free oats, coarsely ground and soaked in 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup rice flour for dredging
Mix all the ingredients(except the rice flour) together with your hands. Form into 1" balls and roll in the rice flour. Chill the balls for 1/2 hour in the fridge. At this point they can be prepared a couple of ways. Poached in a sauce or browned for Swedish style meatballs.
I love to poach them, they are melt in your mouth tender. You can use any basic tomato sauce or since I can't eat tomato sauce, I make a red bell pepper sauce with anchovies.
Red Bell Pepper Sauce
4 red bell peppers
6 anchovy fillets
1 small fennel bulb, diced
1 tsp. fresh sweet marjoram leaves, chopped
1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Roast the bell peppers for 45-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. When they are cool enough to handle, peel, seed and puree. Melt the anchovy fillets in a little oil in a saucepan with a lid, or a dutch oven big enough to hold 1 layer of meatballs. Sauté the fennel with the anchovies until tender. Add the herbs, red wine, sugar and salt. Cook together for 3-4 minutes. Add the bell pepper puree and heat to a simmer. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little water. Gently lay the meatballs in the sauce in a single layer. Use the end of a wooden spoon to move them around so they all fit. Cover and gently simmer for 30 minutes until the meatballs feel firm.
Serve over gluten-free pasta with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano.
Two kinds of meatballs, Spencer Tracy and poached...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Cary Grant and Spaghetti with Meat sauce
"You found out everything else about me; my barber, my haberdasher, my laundress and last year's girlfriend."
This was Cary Grant's response to Betsy Drake in the 1948 movie, "Every Girl Should Be Married." I am not surprised I never heard of it, I stopped to watch a little because it was Cary Grant. And, Cary Grant's character has a haberdasher, the equivalent of a milliner for men. He was married to Betsy Drake for a while and they made at least two movies together.
This movie is a bit tiresome, starting with the title. However, there are a lot of 1940 style hats that are worth watching for. Especially in one scene when he is giving a talk to a group of women. That's about all I could take. Betsy Drake's character did everything but cook Cary Grant's character spaghetti with meat sauce to get him to marry her!
Ah, spaghetti with meat sauce, such a homey, family style dish.
Spaghetti with Meat sauce
serves 4-6 people
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small fennel bulb, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 lbs. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup red wine
3 red bell peppers, roasted in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, peeled, seeded and pureed
1 tablespoon sweet marjoram, chopped
3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped fine
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. gluten-free quinoa spaghetti(Ancient Harvest brand is very good)
Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
In a large heavy bottomed sauce-pan, saute the fennel in the olive oil until soft, add the carrots and garlic and cook together for a few minutes. Add the beef and pork and saute until browned. Pour in the wine, cook for a minute, then add the bell pepper puree, sweet marjoram and parsley. Taste the sauce and season with salt & pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water with a tsp. of olive oil added until al dente. I always cook the minimum time recommended. Top with the meat sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
And cheers to Cary Grant's haberdasher for always making him look so dashing...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
This was Cary Grant's response to Betsy Drake in the 1948 movie, "Every Girl Should Be Married." I am not surprised I never heard of it, I stopped to watch a little because it was Cary Grant. And, Cary Grant's character has a haberdasher, the equivalent of a milliner for men. He was married to Betsy Drake for a while and they made at least two movies together.
This movie is a bit tiresome, starting with the title. However, there are a lot of 1940 style hats that are worth watching for. Especially in one scene when he is giving a talk to a group of women. That's about all I could take. Betsy Drake's character did everything but cook Cary Grant's character spaghetti with meat sauce to get him to marry her!
Ah, spaghetti with meat sauce, such a homey, family style dish.
Spaghetti with Meat sauce
serves 4-6 people
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small fennel bulb, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 lbs. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup red wine
3 red bell peppers, roasted in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, peeled, seeded and pureed
1 tablespoon sweet marjoram, chopped
3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped fine
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. gluten-free quinoa spaghetti(Ancient Harvest brand is very good)
Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
In a large heavy bottomed sauce-pan, saute the fennel in the olive oil until soft, add the carrots and garlic and cook together for a few minutes. Add the beef and pork and saute until browned. Pour in the wine, cook for a minute, then add the bell pepper puree, sweet marjoram and parsley. Taste the sauce and season with salt & pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water with a tsp. of olive oil added until al dente. I always cook the minimum time recommended. Top with the meat sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
And cheers to Cary Grant's haberdasher for always making him look so dashing...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Upstairs and Fried Goat Cheese
"I shall buy a black hat now he is definitely dead. He was an exemplary monarch."
'Upstairs, Downstairs' fans (like me), should be thrilled that Jean Marsh has the keys again to 165 Eaton Place. She comes back as the housekeeper when the house is inherited and re-opened.
Upstairs, a friend of the new mistress was referring to the death of King George. She was going to buy a new black hat out of respect for his death. In 1991, the first year I had my hat shop I only sold black hats. That was what the customer wanted. It was the beginning of the black decade, so many people wore head to toe black. I know I did. A reaction to the 80's.
They were having tea Upstairs when the hat conversation took place. A tasty fried goat cheese appetizer is elegant enough to have been served that afternoon. Especially with a cranberry, beet and raspberry puree. I first had this dish in England.
Fried Goat Cheese
serves 2 people
1-4" or 2-2" sliced rounds of aged goat cheese, about 3/4" thick
1/4 cup rice flour
grape seed oil for frying
Heat 1/2" of oil in a small frying pan. Dredge the goat cheese in the flour and lay in the oil when it is really hot. Fry on the first side until golden. turn and fry on the other side. Serve on top of a cranberry, beet and raspberry puree.
Cranberry, Beet and Raspberry Puree
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 bunch beets, steamed until tender, peeled, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
juice and zest of one lemon
1 tbs. superfine sugar (I grind sugar superfine in a spice grinder)
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool. Process until smooth with an immersion blender. Add a tablespoon of water if it is too thick.
Spoon some pureé on a plate and place the fried goat cheese on top. Serve with gluten free bread.
If you are having tea, make it more 'Upstairs" and wear a hat.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
'Upstairs, Downstairs' fans (like me), should be thrilled that Jean Marsh has the keys again to 165 Eaton Place. She comes back as the housekeeper when the house is inherited and re-opened.
Upstairs, a friend of the new mistress was referring to the death of King George. She was going to buy a new black hat out of respect for his death. In 1991, the first year I had my hat shop I only sold black hats. That was what the customer wanted. It was the beginning of the black decade, so many people wore head to toe black. I know I did. A reaction to the 80's.
They were having tea Upstairs when the hat conversation took place. A tasty fried goat cheese appetizer is elegant enough to have been served that afternoon. Especially with a cranberry, beet and raspberry puree. I first had this dish in England.
Fried Goat Cheese
serves 2 people
1-4" or 2-2" sliced rounds of aged goat cheese, about 3/4" thick
1/4 cup rice flour
grape seed oil for frying
Heat 1/2" of oil in a small frying pan. Dredge the goat cheese in the flour and lay in the oil when it is really hot. Fry on the first side until golden. turn and fry on the other side. Serve on top of a cranberry, beet and raspberry puree.
Cranberry, Beet and Raspberry Puree
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 bunch beets, steamed until tender, peeled, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
juice and zest of one lemon
1 tbs. superfine sugar (I grind sugar superfine in a spice grinder)
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool. Process until smooth with an immersion blender. Add a tablespoon of water if it is too thick.
Spoon some pureé on a plate and place the fried goat cheese on top. Serve with gluten free bread.
If you are having tea, make it more 'Upstairs" and wear a hat.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Joan Crawford and Broiled Salmon
"You'll wear a hat with a red rose on it."
"Must I?"
"It's how he will identify you. You will say your name is Mrs. Rose."
These were Joan Crawford's instructions in the 1943 movie "Above Suspicion". Turner Classic Movies had a theme of 'how to fool the Nazis' the other day. This is a pretty lighthearted movie despite the theme. She and Fred McMurray play newlyweds with a mission to accomplish while on their honeymoon.
The hat with the red rose played a big part in the plot. And it is a perfect hat for Miss Crawford, even though she seemed a bit reluctant. Big red rose, too obvious?" That 1940's cocktail style hat with a little veil and of course a big red rose. In another scene she also dresses as a Swiss maiden. That is not so in character with her image. She fools the Nazis with that get-up, but not the one at the end where she is made up as an old woman.
The movie had enough going on to watch all of it and I have become more of a fan of Joan Crawford's recently. Two years after she made this movie she won the Oscar for "Mildred Pierce".
I was pondering the thought of a red rose and rosy pink salmon popped into my head. And one of my favorite ways of cooking it, under the broiler with a maple syrup-mustard sauce.
Broiled Salmon
serves 2 people
1 salmon fillet, with skin, about 3/4 lb., remove any pin bones and cut into 2" wide sections
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tbs. whole grain mustard
1 tbs. maple syrup
juice and zest of 1 small lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
Brush some olive oil onto a baking sheet. Lay the salmon sections on the sheet skin side down. Broil for 4 minutes. Remove from the broiler to add the topping.
Mix together the rest of the ingredients to make a paste. Spread the paste on the salmon sections and put back under the broiler for another 4-5 minutes until the salmon looks done.
Carefully remove the salmon meat from the skin in one piece and put on a platter. To make salmon chips with the skin, loosen the skin from the baking sheet with a spatula and put back under the broiler to crisp, turning it after the first side looks golden. This technique works pretty well if you have oiled the sheet in the beginning so the skin doesn't stick. They are delicious!
A red rose and rosy red broiled salmon, both memorable.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"Must I?"
"It's how he will identify you. You will say your name is Mrs. Rose."
These were Joan Crawford's instructions in the 1943 movie "Above Suspicion". Turner Classic Movies had a theme of 'how to fool the Nazis' the other day. This is a pretty lighthearted movie despite the theme. She and Fred McMurray play newlyweds with a mission to accomplish while on their honeymoon.
The hat with the red rose played a big part in the plot. And it is a perfect hat for Miss Crawford, even though she seemed a bit reluctant. Big red rose, too obvious?" That 1940's cocktail style hat with a little veil and of course a big red rose. In another scene she also dresses as a Swiss maiden. That is not so in character with her image. She fools the Nazis with that get-up, but not the one at the end where she is made up as an old woman.
The movie had enough going on to watch all of it and I have become more of a fan of Joan Crawford's recently. Two years after she made this movie she won the Oscar for "Mildred Pierce".
I was pondering the thought of a red rose and rosy pink salmon popped into my head. And one of my favorite ways of cooking it, under the broiler with a maple syrup-mustard sauce.
Broiled Salmon
serves 2 people
1 salmon fillet, with skin, about 3/4 lb., remove any pin bones and cut into 2" wide sections
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tbs. whole grain mustard
1 tbs. maple syrup
juice and zest of 1 small lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
Brush some olive oil onto a baking sheet. Lay the salmon sections on the sheet skin side down. Broil for 4 minutes. Remove from the broiler to add the topping.
Mix together the rest of the ingredients to make a paste. Spread the paste on the salmon sections and put back under the broiler for another 4-5 minutes until the salmon looks done.
Carefully remove the salmon meat from the skin in one piece and put on a platter. To make salmon chips with the skin, loosen the skin from the baking sheet with a spatula and put back under the broiler to crisp, turning it after the first side looks golden. This technique works pretty well if you have oiled the sheet in the beginning so the skin doesn't stick. They are delicious!
A red rose and rosy red broiled salmon, both memorable.
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Miss Mapp and Chard with Beets
"And I'm sure she was crocheting a baby cap in white wool, and she must have pulled a lot of it out and begun again. She was wearing it."-Mapp and Lucia
And so continues the battle between Miss Mapp and Lucia for attention in the town of Tilling in the book series, "Make Way for Lucia." It was written by E.F. Benson and set in the 1920's-1940's. It is one of my favorite chronicles of life in a small English village. And it has also been brought to life in a PBS mini-series called "Mapp and Lucia."
Miss Mapp had let out her skirts and assumed the mannerisms of someone who was expecting a baby, including crocheting a baby cap. When her charade was over, she took in the waistbands of her skirts and remade the cap into a hat for herself. Once again a hat moved the story along and was used for symbolism.
There is a lot of discussion about the vegetables in Miss Mapp's garden. She rents her house to Lucia for a summer and does not include garden produce in the rental. Instead Miss Mapp sells it to the local greengrocer. So if Lucia wanted to make Swiss chard with beets, she would have had to buy the ingredients at the store, the vegetables that were actually grown in the garden where she was staying.
And what a tasty, healthy side dish. Very pretty too if you can find chiogga beets, which are rosy pink and striped inside.
Chard with Beets
serves 2 people
1 big bunch red Swiss chard
1 bunch chiogga beets
2 tbs. olive oil
1 baby fennel bulb; remove and discard stems, slice bulb thin and save the tender middle fronds
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
1 tbs. butter
sea salt to taste
Strip the leaves off the chard, wash and roughly chop. Save the stems for a chard gratin. Wash and trim the beets and put in a baking dish. Tightly cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife. Let cool, peel and cut into quarters or sixths if the beets are big.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the fennel and cook until tender, add the chard and continue to sauté until the chard is wilted and tender, about 15 minutes. Add the beets, tarragon vinegar and butter and gently stir until everything is combined and warmed through. Add sea salt to taste.
Serve this chard and beets dish with any grilled meat, like lamb chops and a side of quinoa pasta. Or serve over the quinoa pasta for a vegetarian meal.
Then take some time for a good read, all 912 pages of "Make Way for Lucia."
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
And so continues the battle between Miss Mapp and Lucia for attention in the town of Tilling in the book series, "Make Way for Lucia." It was written by E.F. Benson and set in the 1920's-1940's. It is one of my favorite chronicles of life in a small English village. And it has also been brought to life in a PBS mini-series called "Mapp and Lucia."
Miss Mapp had let out her skirts and assumed the mannerisms of someone who was expecting a baby, including crocheting a baby cap. When her charade was over, she took in the waistbands of her skirts and remade the cap into a hat for herself. Once again a hat moved the story along and was used for symbolism.
There is a lot of discussion about the vegetables in Miss Mapp's garden. She rents her house to Lucia for a summer and does not include garden produce in the rental. Instead Miss Mapp sells it to the local greengrocer. So if Lucia wanted to make Swiss chard with beets, she would have had to buy the ingredients at the store, the vegetables that were actually grown in the garden where she was staying.
And what a tasty, healthy side dish. Very pretty too if you can find chiogga beets, which are rosy pink and striped inside.
Chard with Beets
serves 2 people
1 big bunch red Swiss chard
1 bunch chiogga beets
2 tbs. olive oil
1 baby fennel bulb; remove and discard stems, slice bulb thin and save the tender middle fronds
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
1 tbs. butter
sea salt to taste
Strip the leaves off the chard, wash and roughly chop. Save the stems for a chard gratin. Wash and trim the beets and put in a baking dish. Tightly cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife. Let cool, peel and cut into quarters or sixths if the beets are big.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the fennel and cook until tender, add the chard and continue to sauté until the chard is wilted and tender, about 15 minutes. Add the beets, tarragon vinegar and butter and gently stir until everything is combined and warmed through. Add sea salt to taste.
Serve this chard and beets dish with any grilled meat, like lamb chops and a side of quinoa pasta. Or serve over the quinoa pasta for a vegetarian meal.
Then take some time for a good read, all 912 pages of "Make Way for Lucia."
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
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