The Cheshire Cat and Colorful Coleslaw

"I really do love that hat...I'll wear it to all the finest occasions." -Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

The Cheshire Cat does have a chance to wear the Mad Hatter's top hat.  He actually saves the Mad Hatter's life while wearing it.  That hat had really been on an adventure.  It had been re-trimmed with a luxurious satin ribbon and sported some very fine hat pins.  When the Cheshire Cat had to give back the hat, his parting words were, "Goodbye, sweet hat."

I wonder what fine occasions the Cheshire Cat was talking about.  He had a way of appearing and disappearing whenever he wanted to.  Say he made an appearance at a summer picnic.   And he was wearing the hat and eating coleslaw.  Very colorful coleslaw...it was wonderland after all.

Colorful Coleslaw

1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 small head purple cabbage, shredded
1 bunch rainbow carrots, grated
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped parsley

dressing; whisk together 1/2 cup mayonaise, 1/2 cup creme fraiche, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbs. apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. fennel seeds, 1 tsp. sea salt

In a big mixing bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, cranberries and parsley.  Pour over the dressing and toss together.  Let marinate for at least an hour before serving, stirring a couple of times.

This coleslaw is colorful enough for a fine occasion, to be eaten outside with hats on.

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.

The Mad Hatter and Fried Chicken Legs

"Everyone can get a horse and carriage, but the absolute best way to travel is by hat." -Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland

This would sound silly if it weren't spoken by the Mad Hatter.  Nothing is as it seems in Wonderland and traveling by hat is indeed how Alice gets to the palace of the Red Queen of Hearts.

In my house there were very mixed reviews of the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland.  I finally saw it and loved it.  Especially the heads floating in the moat...that was creepy.  There were a couple of good hat scenes where the Mad Hatter was making hats and trying them on the Queen.  His hat has a major part in the movie.

So Alice traveled by hat. She did not have to use her legs when it came to covering a great distance.  Should I say her legs reminded me of chicken legs.  No that would be mean.  Now I am thinking of chicken legs.  And frying them.

Fried Chicken Legs

serves 2 people

5-6 chicken drumsticks
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup gluten-free, all-purpose flour
1tbs. salt
grape seed oil for frying

Marinate the chicken drumsticks in the buttermilk for at least 2 hours.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat about 3" of grape seed oil to 325 degrees in a heavy pot with high sides.  Mix the flour and salt in a shallow dish and coat the chicken with the flour right before frying.  Work in small batches.  Fry the chicken on all sides until golden brown.  Transfer to a rack on a sheet pan in  the hot oven.  When all the chicken is done leave it in the oven for 10 minutes.  Serve hot with a green salad.

Eating crunchy fried chicken legs and traveling by hat...both good.

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
    

The Doll's Hat and Little Zucchini Cakes

"The entire gamut of female cussedness reduced and confined to a few spare inches of hat." -New York Sunday Mirror, Spring 1938

Hats became almost miniature in the Spring of 1938.  They were called "Doll's Hats".  Apparently men hated them.  I wonder why they elicited such a strong opinion.  Of course the thing about hats is everyone has an opinion about them.  But this is not a very nice one. 

At the New York World's Fair in the 1930's, a copper time capsule was sealed to be opened in 5,000 years.  The hat chosen to be put in the capsule and to represent the 1930's turned out to be the "Doll's Hat".  A miniature purple and green hat with a veil and purple ostrich feathers was made by famed milliner Lilly Daché.  

There is a resurgence today of the "Doll's Hat".  They have a new name, "fascinators".  A few inches of hat.  You can top them with almost anything.  If I relate that to food I think of little zucchini cakes.  A few inches of goodness and top them with almost anything.

Little Zucchini Cakes

makes 8-2" cakes


2-6" zucchini, grated
1 tbs. Zazu & Violets' all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Zazu & Violets' all purpose gluten-free flour for dredging
grape seed oil for frying


Mix together the zucchini, flour, and salt.  Let sit for 5 minutes then form into 2" patties.  Heat grape seed oil in a skillet, enough to just cover the bottom of the pan.  When the oil is hot and working quickly, lightly dredge the patties in the flour and lay in the hot pan.  Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels. 

Let the zucchini cakes cool a bit.  Top with creme fraiche and chopped chives or smoked salmon and horseradish cream.  Try finely sliced cucumbers mixed with yogurt for a refreshing topping.

These little zucchini cakes are a few inches of goodness just like the "Doll's Hat".

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.

My Coco and GF Tofu Burgers

"She likes dresses with no corsets, shoes with no heels, and hats with no feathers.  That's my Coco..."

When she was very young Coco Chanel had a relationship with a wealthy fellow named Étienne Balsan.  He was amused by her because she did not follow the fashion of the time.  She borrowed his clothes, refused to ride sidesaddle and wore plain straw boater style hats with no feathers.  That was the beginning of the new Chanel look.

She might have also liked burgers with no beef.  Like tofu burgers.  I just discovered firm sprouted tofu.  The sprouting makes it alive and easier to digest.  Once you add all the fixings, it is a delicious burger substitute.

Tofu Burgers

makes 4 burgers

1 14 oz. square of firm sprouted tofu
olive oil
4 gluten-free buns, lightly toasted
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin and caramelized
1 cup grated English cheddar cheese
sliced pickles
1 cup micro-greens
2 tbs. mayonaise mixed with 1 tbs. mustard

Cut 4-3/4" slices across the widest part of the block of tofu.  Using a biscuit cutter a little bigger than your buns cut the slices into circles.  Pat dry.  Sprinkle a little salt on the tofu circles.  Save the scraps of tofu to crumble into a salad.  

Heat 1/4" of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet big enough for the 4 circles of tofu.  Fry the tofu on both sides until golden brown, adding the cheese to the second side.  Slather the buns with the mustard-mayo mixture.  Put the tofu burgers on the buns and top with the pickles and micro-greens.


No corsets, no heels, no feathers and no meat.  


To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.

Mom's a Milliner and Calzones

"My mother was a milliner in Wales.  I often had to dress up in her creations and parade up and down the street in front of her shop, as a sort of advertisement."  -Ellen Punnet, 1000 Hats by Norma Shephard

My daughters have been my biggest influence as a milliner.  I started making hats and named the business after them when Zazu was 9 years old and Violet was 7 years old.  I would fashion a hat and try it on their heads.  This was before I had hat blocks.  They considered it a form of dress-up.  I never made them parade up and down in front of my shop, but occasionally they would pose as mannequins wearing hats in the display windows.

Now, they have grown into young women and they do wear their mother's creations.  Another thing I make that they are fond of are calzones.  I started by making big ones, but found the single size portion was everyone's favorite.  The calzones freeze and re-heat perfectly.  An easy lunch or dinner courtesy of Mom and thanks for all the hat modeling.

Calzones

2 gluten-free pizza doughs

Calzone Filling

Makes 16 single portion calzones

This recipe is enough to fill two pizza doughs.  The filling has a better consistency if prepared a day ahead.

1 16 oz. package of frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 16 oz. tub of ricotta cheese
1 8 oz. ball of mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1/2 ham steak.cut into 1/4 cubes, or 3 sweet cooked Italian sausages cut into cubes
zest of one lemon + juice
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients for filling and refrigerate overnight.  When your dough is almost risen bring the filling to room temperature.  Punch the dough down and knead briefly.  Divide each dough into eight balls and keep under a kitchen towel while forming the calzones.  To form, roll each ball into a 5" circle, mound filling on one half and fold dough over filling and seal.  I roll the edges over and crimp like a pie crust.  Bake 8-10 minutes on a pizza brick in a 500 degree oven until the crust is golden brown.

Eat while piping hot, or cool and wrap in freezer paper to freeze.  To re-heat, unwrap, place the frozen calzones on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.

Mr. Fred and Gluten Free Picnic Pasta Salad

"Everybody must wear a hat.  You look smarter in a hat.  The time for hatlessness is over." -majordomo of milliner, Mr. Fred of John-Frederics

After the war in the late 1940's, hatlessness was rampant.  One milliner, Mr. Fred, required his customers to wear hats when visiting his showroom.  His majordomo who was dressed in a Revolutionary costume chanted this quote outside the showroom.

It being the 4th of July I thought it was a good sentiment for the day.  Especially with the Revolutionary costume.  The time for hatlessness is over.  Everybody must wear a hat!  I know it is unrealistic to think that everybody will wear hats but we milliners today are keeping hats on heads one hat at a time.


For a 4th of July picnic someone must bring the pasta salad.  There are countless versions of pasta salad.  This one has all the necessary ingredients; pasta, veggies, cheese, protein and a vinaigrette to bring it alive.

Picnic Pasta Salad

serves 4 people

8 oz. gluten-free quinoa/corn fusilli
3 tbs. olive oil
3 oz. fresh goat cheese
1 bunch broccolini
3 oz. firm, sprouted tofu, cut into 1/4" dice
1 tbs. fish sauce
juice of 1/2 a lime
zest of 1 lime
2 tbs. olive oil
sea salt
3 slices of bacon, cut into lardons, cooked until crispy
3 tbs. chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano

vinaigrette;  Whisk together, 4 tbs. olive oil, juice of 1/2 a lime, 2 tbs. rice vinegar, and a 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Cook the pasta in boiling, salty water according to package directions.  Add a little olive oil to the water, stir a couple of times during cooking, do not over-cook!  Cook al dente.  Drain, pour into a mixing bowl and drizzle with the 3 tbs. olive oil.  Crumble in the goat cheese while the pasta is still hot.  Mix and set aside.

Marinate the diced tofu in the fish sauce, lime zest and juice, olive oil and sea salt.

Trim the stems of the broccolini with a vegetable peeler.  Steam until tender, then cut onto 1" pieces.

Add the tofu and marinade, the broccolini, bacon, parsley and Parmagiano-Regiano to the pasta, pour over the vinaigrette and mix it all together.

And surely you will wear a hat when you take this pasta salad to a picnic.  Everybody must wear hats!

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
    

Edwardian Grandeur and Gluten Free Spaghetti Carbonara

"My aunts were stylish Edwardian ladies who stored their laces, furs, and frou frou in a trunk, from which we extracted special items when making a hat.  We referred to this as the 'chest of grandeur.'" -anonymous quote from 1000 hats by Norma Shephard

I can imagine the goodies in that trunk.  All kinds of feathers, ribbbons, fabric flowers.  Exotic bird feathers were very popular on hats during this time.  The use of feathers for millinery led to the endangerment and extinction of many species.  A group of ladies in the late 1880's organized a protest of the use of feathers on hats that led to the establishment of the Audobon society, domestic bird sanctuaries and hunting regulations.

There is an ongoing discussion among my hat-making Milliners of Etsy colleagues about where to get feathers for hats.  Ostrich feathers can be used because they can be harvested without harming the bird.  Pheasant feathers are available from pheasant farmers.  Unless one is lucky enough to have a 'chest of grandeur'.

A 'chest of grandeur' is like a pantry.  You can extract all kinds of special items to create a dish.  Pasta is always a good pantry item, especially the gluten-free quinoa and corn flour spaghetti.  I usually also have the other ingredients needed for a spaghetti carbonara. 

Spaghetti Carbonara


serves 3-4 people


8 oz. gluten-free quinoa/corn spaghetti
4-6 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1/2 cup sorrel leaves, chopped
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
2 tbs. chopped parsley


Cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water.  Reserve 1 cup cooking water.


In a heavy bottom skillet, sauté the bacon until crispy.  Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Pour off a little of the fat.  Add the sorrel leaves and cook until the leaves have melted.  Add the cooked spaghetti, cream and the eggs. Cook for 8-10 minutes adding pasta water as needed to help coat the pasta.  Sir in the cheese and parsley.


So with a well-stocked pantry or a chest of grandeur, you can create almost anything, like spaghetti carbonara or a hat.


To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.