Beautiful "leaf lard" which surrounds a pig's kidney, is the fat of choice for rendering lard. Prior to the invention of the heinous hydrogenated stuff, this is what people baked with. I know it still carries a stigma, but we are talking about a good fat, here. This excellent article by Regina Schrambling writing for Slate states (quoting Jennifer McLagan's groundbreaking book:) "...lard's fat is also mostly monounsaturated, which is healthier than saturated fat. And even the saturated fat in lard has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol."

So, how do go from this hunk o' fat to something you can cut into your flour for a perfect pie crust? I used Lorraine's recipe and replaced the shortening called for with homemade leaf lard. Thanks again to Chef Jason Bond and his Mangalitsa named Tan. Itadakimasu, Tan!

Picture this: a new feature on this blog, will take you through picture by picture, step by step, on a variety of topics. With gratitude for guidance from a Homesick Texan, here's your pictoral lesson in Leaf Lard Rendering.

 

Cutting the fat into chunks.

 

A good heavy cast iron pot works well for this. I love Staub!

Fat goes in, with water to cover.

Medium heat to let the fat begin to melt.

The water cooks off as the fat renders.

It begins to look like it's all melted.

Then lardons begin separate.

They sink to the bottom, and when they've all browned and sunk...

You have rendered fat with lardons you may use, eat or discard.

The chilled lard viewed from above.

Two pies. Tasty crusts with nice balance of flakiness and crumb.

 

 

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As I was writing my annual Thanksgiving posts, adding a couple for Nourish Network, I was thinking it might be useful to round up a bunch of articles that contain recipes, tips, and tricks accumulated over years of Thanksgiving meals.

On Nourish Network:

• Turkey Time - including one version of cider pan gravy, terrific for grilled birds
• A Welcome Thanksgiving
• Demystifying Umami

Also on Nourish Network, see these wonderful posts about the Thanksgiving holiday:

• A Story of Heritage Turkeys - Lia Huber
• Miso and Herb-Rubbed Smoked Turkey - Lia Huber
• Wherever You Are, There's the Feast - Cheryl Sternman Rule (includes Lentil Soup with Roasted Pumpkin)
• Grandma Friese's Whole Cranberries - Kurt Michael Friese
• Chef Kurt's Mom's Wild Rice Dressing - Kurt Michael Friese
• Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivee - Kurt Michael Friese
• Carving New Traditions - Lia Huber (a beautiful story of bringing their daughter home and imbuing Thanksgiving with new meaning)

Heritage Turkey and Heirloom Apples

My bird last year was a Narragansett, of which there are about 1,000 breeding females left. It was delicious and more wild tasting without being gamey. It was also really expensive.

This year we’ve ordered a turkey which is a Broad-breasted White, but from a local, family farm that uses only minimal antibiotics in the first few weeks of the turkeys’ lives. They produce very moist, very flavorful roasts and we strike a balance that’s right for us.

Remember when "apples" were only Red Delicious? Now we have an abundance of heirloom varieties. Apples complement turkey nicely. Often, I’ll include apples in the stuffing. This year why not try a Cider Pan Gravy? I like to fill the cavity with wedges of apple, orange, onion, celery, carrot, fennel. I rub a little herb butter under the breast skin as well as over the bird. Fennel pollen is a nice addition here.


Apple Cider Pan Sauce
This pan sauce is lighter than a traditional gravy. It will be deeply flavored from the herbs used in the basting broth and the herb butter. The first recipe gives a technique for making your own turkey stock. The pan sauce allows you to use homemade stock, store-bought broth, or both.

To make Cider Pan Sauce
To make this a thicker gravy you can use more fat and more flour. To make it a thinner pan sauce use less. Here’s a tip: practice the technique by roasting a chicken before Thanksgiving. The steps are the same and if you’re new at hosting Thanksgiving, having a “dry run” meal will help calm the nerves!

Have stock warmed up or make a quick substitution as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp prepared demi-glace (Williams Sonoma makes a good one, but it does contain gluten) dissolved in 1 cup warm water or broth
• 2 cups of prepared stock (For homemade quick turkey stock see Turkey Time)
• 2 cups fresh apple cider (more or less to taste)
• 2-3 Tablespoons of reserved fat or butter
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Sauce and Gravy flour (finely milled flour that will not clump up on you, one brand is Wondra)
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• S&P to taste
• Vinegar to taste (pomegranate-red wine or apple, Katz makes a delicious artisanal heirloom apple vinegar)

Directions:

1. After the turkey has roasted, remove to a carving board, tent, rest.
2. Pour pan juices into a gravy separator or measuring cup to spoon off extra fat, if any. Saving 3 Tablespoons.
3. Return de-greased pan juices to roasting pan over two burners (careful, pan will be hot!)
4. Pour in 1 cup of cider to deglaze pan over medium high heat, scraping up browned bits.
5. Sprinkle sauce and gravy flour over pan and whisk (a flat silicone whisk works great here).
6. Add equal parts stock or broth and more cider to taste.

A few pats of cold butter whisked in just before serving will emulsify this light pan sauce.  It’s entirely optional.

Adjust for seasoning, some sea salt, grinds of white or black pepper. Add a tablespoon of pomegranate-red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavor.

Why not do a practice dinner of roast chicken with Cider Pan Sauce?

 

Kale, Lady Apples, Grapes, Bay Leaves make for a nice presentation

• Ten Point Plan for Thanksgiving
• Good Gravy
• Heritage Turkeys
• Thanksgiving Cheats, Tips, Tricks
• Orphans', Refugees', Procrastinators' Thanksgiving
• Turkey Trauma
• Easy Holiday Open House

 

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Taking Thyme

 

 

Pasta Puttanesca, Crostata and Being in the Moment

The day didn’t start so auspiciously. Putting away dishes before I’ve had a full cup of coffee, a bowl slips and crashes. Luckily it wasn’t a special one, but it was an all-purpose, one we use a lot. Oh well. It’s a gorgeous day and I have just enough time to finish the crostata and shoot it in the perfect light before I scoot out the door to my appointments and errands.

Of course, I didn’t really have “just enough” time, I just made myself believe I did, because I really wanted to see the crostata in the late morning light. Then, I decide some of my last thyme would be lovely with the Italian plums and some balsamic. A little leftover jam from a friend was the inspiration (yes, Chez Us you know who you are!)

So in goes the lovely crostata, while I pop a shower.

Out we both come. And it’s photo shoot time. Of course, it’s really about time for me to be out the door. I start scaling back the “to do before I go list” - how much makeup do I really need? How perfect must the hair be? No time for second cup of coffee, I can get that out...Did I mention the gorgeous light this morning?

Flying out the door once a few shots are shot. All I could do not to eat it with another cup of that joe...

Trying to email on iPhone while crossing the Surface Rd is nothing short of suicidal, but you know, that Chicago workshop is coming up fast. Did I get so-and-so’s email yet? Did I send all the follow ups yet from the Boston show?

I imagine which stop is closest to the first appointment and jump on the Orange line. To be more precise, I enter the station. Wrong direction, but catch myself before paying. “Outbound” is meaningless when you’re in the heart of downtown. BOTH directions are outbound. Just sayin’...

Right direction. I’m there just in time to make my 1200 appt. But the train refuses to come. No, I cannot help you - skinny dude who needs train fare. I ask the booth attendant if the train is working. Yes. How frequently the train runs? Not very. Great.

Then it comes. I note that my stop is just three away, I might just make it. (Already the wheels are turning, I realize that I will never leave more time to get to this destination because I know that I can make it in less than a half hour even if the train is late. Which it is. And even if I haven’t actually arrived on time, which I won’t. But the wheels are turning.)

I have an intermittent signal so I try to get another email out. There’s my stop. Out I go.

Hm. This...doesn’t....look like ...the right station. First mistake. (Well, second, if you count that I went into the wrong station first. Or third mistake, if you count that I stayed home too long baking and photographing...)

Now I have decided that I’ve taken the wrong train, but I think I know just where I am and start walking. And emailing, of course. I call the appt and let them know I’ve made the foolish mistake of jumping on the wrong train, but tell them I’m probably 7 blocks away, will be there soon. No problem they can fit me in at 1215 instead.

But then I realize nothing is looking familiar as it should since I’VE LIVED IN THIS CITY FOR OVER TWO DECADES. Do I check the GPS on my iPhone - of course not.

A young woman shoots me that “Sister, you are SO lost” look and I realize she is correct.  I consult the GPS and realize I’ve walked now several long blocks IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. I cross the street and turn around attempting to reorient myself and suddenly from behind the truck unloading booze at the liquor store, “Hey Sweetie, how about a nice gold necklace?”

Not even kidding. He’s not threatening, very polite almost laughing at himself. Then quickly he calls out to someone else and he’s off as I give him that half polite, half eye-roll look and keep walking. Like I know where I am or how to get where I’m going.

At this point, I’m pretty sure the first appt is shot. I try to keep myself from spiraling into "what a shitty day" mode, and note how nice it is out. Really glorious Fall day. And we’re walking.

And walking. Now I see a landmark I recognize, but it is in the wrong direction. Completely. Who moved that tower? Oh. Uh oh. I am so ridiculously not in the right spot but at least now I have my bearings and I’m off.

No cabs in this part of town and no bus stops that I can see, so I’ll just walk briskly and try to not make myself crazy. Almost two miles later and half an hour late I arrive at the first appointment which they graciously let me keep though I am 30 minutes late.

The second, the third. Then off to the tailor, who I believe is on Gloucester - or is it Hereford? I head off toward Gloucester. But I don’t see his sign. I head back toward Hereford hoping no one in the shop has seen me double back after I’d regaled them with the saga of the morning commute.

I head back to Gloucester and find him (sans sign)in the same building different unit. We catch up, he’s now married and has a daughter. When I saw him last he was just about to leave to meet his wife, then he was a little apprehensive since it was a blind date sort of arrangement with old school marriage fixer upper types involved. The good news. They are in love and so happy.

I walk home, enjoy the afternoon. Grab an olive roll from the Farmers’ Market. Pick up some chocolates for my sweetie. Since I’m eating alone tonight I have options. I decide to make Pasta Puttanesca. Doc’s not crazy about the dish so it’s a perfect one to make for myself. I have a bit of hot cappicola that’s a little dry now, that’ll go in. Have some lovely salted capers, some nice anchovies, a handful of olives and some tomatoes I’d opened and not needed. Perfect. Pop open some wine (Chilean Carmenere) and decide I can put the freaking phone down, enjoy a calm glass of wine while I prep.

Dinner was great and the secret to Puttanesca* is that it packs a triple or quadruple umami punch: olives, anchovies, tomatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano. I would guess that capers themselves also have some umami.

So once I focused on the cooking, the wine, and the crostata dessert I could laugh remembering the staff at the first appointment telling me next time I could bring a gold chain in lieu of tip...

Pasta Puttanesca to calm a harried girl...

1. Pour a glass of wine.
2. Put the pasta water on to boil.

3. Mash:
two anchovy fillets
4-5 cloves of garlic

4. Sauté
half an onion, sliced thin half an onion (working girls would not waste what was hanging out in the fridge)
and anchovy in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. As they begin to soften,

5. Add
garlic
~1/3 - 1/2 cup olives pitted and rough chopped
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

6. Deglaze
with ~1/2 cup of hearty red wine.

7. Add

tomatoes - if whole crush with hands.

2 tablespoons salt-dried capers, soaked, drained

If fresh herbs are handy - chop and add. Today, I had about a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, 1/4 cup of parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano.

 

Oregano blossoms

Toss with pasta, grate Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Enjoy.

* The story of puttanesca is that it was a sauce made with pantry items and in a hurry so the working girls could whip it up between clients. I’d like to imagine the dish gave them a few moments’ peace in a busy day, as it did me.

Crostata for dessert. Liking the thyme and balasamic with the plums. Very much.

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Hello Spring! Hello Tulips! Sweetness and light abounds as we shake off our winter layers and embrace the new season.

Tulips herald the advent of Spring and with that, our thoughts of better days, and also of Mother's Day. But what if you were a Mother struggling to make a better life for your kids, trying to end the cycle of poverty? What if yours was one of the 600,000 U.S. FAMILIES with 1.35 million CHILDREN to experience HOMELESSNESS this year?

What would this season of rebirth and fresh starts mean to you? Tulips and Cannelles are a far cry from the reality for too many women and children today.

The vast majority of homeless families are headed by single women. Mother’s Day is a fitting moment to shine the spotlight on family homelessness. One company in Massachusetts, Dancing Deer is doing more than most to ensure that they live up to their values. Their CEO is Trish Karter - whom I first had the pleasure of interviewing in December 2006 - see Dancing Deer's CEO Trish Karter talks about Social Responsibility and Good Cookies.

Dancing Deer CEO Rides to Raise Awareness and Aid for Homelessness

Trish Karter does more than write a check, she dons a helmet. And she rides. 1,500 miles to be exact. That's right - starting Wednesday April 22 Karter will embark on 1,500 mile ride from Atlanta, GA to Boston, MA. It's her way of marking the company's 15th Anniversary. Doing a 15 day ride, 1,500 miles.

In college we used to say "a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle" it was a silly way to get women to conceptualize their ability to be self-sufficient. Many women facing homelessness need more than a slogan. They need a helping hand and real resources - they need a Deer with a bicycle - a Chief Deer. And they need you.

And what can you do?

35% of the revenues derived from Dancing Deer's Sweet Home product line funds the One Family Scholars Program, which provides college scholarships for homeless mothers as a pathway to self-sufficiency. 

• Buy Sweet Home treats and 15% of the retail purchase price will go directly to the One Family Foundation. Spread sweetness and help end homelessness by sending a Sweet Home gift for Mother's Day.
• Make a charitable donation directly to One Family's Scholars program.
• Donate money or items to the shelter of your choice or to the foundation.
• Each of the homeless shelters along the 1,500 mile route has a wish list of items they need. Click here to find a shelter in your area and discover how you can donate an item as simple as paper towels, socks, diapers, or pillows or sheets can make a difference. 

I first learned of Trish Karter through her fantastic cookies. I later learned of her character and her philanthropy. It makes it all that much sweeter to savor the treats knowing that they're helping to lift women and children out of poverty.

 

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Underground Dining is a trend that is likely to be with us for a while. It comes in many flavors and is not subterranean. It can however, take place out in a field or on a farm. What is it exactly? What are some examples of how it's taking form? How to find out more?

Underground Supper Clubs

These began several years ago in or near major metropolitan cities. Sometimes a chef in between restaurants would get together and host a meal in a loft or a warehouse. Invites would be by some secret websites or phone numbers. Often there are passwords or scavenger hunts or similar mechanisms to throw authorities off and to provide some screen. Sometimes one has to be invited by a member. Often it gives chefs who don't own their own restaurant a chance to show what they might do if the menu were under their control. Maybe they want to experiment with farm to table sourcing or whole pig roasts. Maybe they really want to show off their Vietnamese culinary prowess but they're stuck working in an Italian restaurant.

What are the drawbacks?

Some offer their concerns that there are not proper health and safety inspections. As if this system really works? Remember the mouse eating a pizza ON THE TABLE at a Beacon Hill joint? Others protest that these off-the-grid dinners will put restaurant chefs out of business. I think their angst is misdirected.

Restaurants are suffering for a host of reasons but it's a stretch to say they're losing business because of underground dining. Maybe it's, um, the economy? Unemployment? These things tend to make it hard for people to spend hundreds of dollars on one night out. Even Mistral and Oringer's KO Prime are getting creative with small plates and freebies to get people into their restaurants - and they were two cited in the Boston Globe exposé on the health code violations and the lack of reliable inspection services.

When the so called underground dining events popped up, it was actually during a more robust economy, and yes, people raised the concerns over lack of inspectional services. That was years ago and they are still thriving. Today, it's more about value (these dinners typically run about half the cost of typical restaurant meals by many estimates) and it's also about finding new and creative chefs, sourcing local ingredients and creating a dining out experience that's more warm and communal than a white table cloth restaurant.

Quite often the wine is BYO with a corkage fee.  Sometimes the wine or cocktails are offered with the menu.

It can be a new way to meet people who share your interest in food. Usually tables are communal and some common friend or acquaintance enabled the introduction. 

Creative chefs doing their own thing - outside of standard brick and mortar restaurants

JJ Gonson is a Best of Boston winner, a personal chef and and a chef instructor around town and on the web. She's also a semi-famous photographer. 

She also hosts occasional dinners that are an example of the flexibility that such arrangements offer. She calls them "O.N.C.E." One Night Culinary Events.

1st seating is for families 5-6 PM. Family buffet for a quick, post playdate, Sunday evening dinner planned for a school night.
All ages are are welcome, adults eat for $20 each. Kids eat for free, and the food will be ready when you get there.

Menu

• Cuisine en Locale macaroni and cheese- one of our signature family dishes, made from scratch with local cheddar and other cheeses
• The vegetable you have to eat at least four bites of, which is pretty hardcore right now, and might very well be kale, sorry, but it's good for you, so eat it, please.
• A yellow vegetable. Sweet potatoes whipped with local creme fraîche and Vermont maple syrup.  Now that's not so bad.
• Gruffalo crumble- our seasonal crumble is made with apples, cranberries and seasonally frozen rhubarb at this time of year.  As ever it is spiced with candied ginger and cardamom.  Right now we are serving it with our favorite local ice cream: Shaw's Dairy Vanilla.  Perfection!

Reservations are a must, please consider coming with a group of friends, we will make enough to go around.

2nd seating is at 7-10 pm (and beyond). Described as a "slow rollout of many courses," it includes seasonal food and mostly local food. Charcuterie, lobster ravioli, rack of lamb. Looks like a wonderful menu. $50 per person.

• Homemade and local charcuterie. Pâtés she's been making inspired by her trip to France.
• Meat pies - think London Pub in the '70s, "Shandy optional."
• Lobster raviolis with vanilla butternut puree.
• Fresh local microgreen salad.
• Rack of Lamb crusted with pistachios and Dijon. Served with sumac roasted Jerusalem artichokes.
• Local Vermont cheeses.
• Homemade ice cream, pastries.

Ever the thoughtful host, she'll even ensure that food is packed to go for those who are not into lingering. For those who are, well, maybe you should bring an extra bottle of wine?

Go to Gonson's site to rsvp and pay (via PayPal or check.)

Cleetus Friedman - Outstanding in the Field, or at the Farm

From the type of suburb in Baltimore where good Jewish boys all grew up to be doctors or lawyers, Friedman cut his own path. When his parents split, he spent more time with his grandmother and both she and his mother were consummate home cooks and entertainers. He discovered hip hop and found his calling. But it was not to be. Touring with an Improv Group and performing in one man shows like "White Like Me" and "Cracker" (see, Crackers Three for my spin) Friedman was making ends meet as so many artists do, by waiting tables. But he'd also been introduced to the kitchen and soon he was working banquets, he was learning front of the house, training employees, developing a catering business for another restaurant. All the while he was coming to the realization that he did not love the life of a starving artist, but he did love working in the culinary world. 

His love of organics and clean, simple, local food was growing as was his restlessness to figure out his next step. At a catering event a local farmer gave him samples of her beef and it became a catalyst that clarified his emerging vision. City Provisions was born shortly after that meeting and his relationships with local farmers has grown through introductions and hard work. He understands the components that make an event successful and a catering business successful. It's telling that nearly all of his employees have been with him from the very beginning. They must share his enthusiasm and passion for giving the customer a great experience and for the organic, local vision of the company. 

From recycling of fryer oil to sending organic food scraps directly to his pig farmer, he tries to "green" City Provisions at every turn. I discovered his unique catering company while researching sustainable and organic cocktail options (see, Sustainability and the Cocktail Hour.) Friedman shared his Sustainable Vodka Mac and Cheese recipe as well as the story of how he discovered Death's Door spirits. Seems it was through the grapevine at the green market. Relationships can grow organically, too.

Related alternative dining articles:

• Montreal's O.Noir Restaurant a leader in Dark Dining. They say we eat first with the eyes, but what if we were blind, or blind folded?
• Head to Tail Eating - dinner with a leader in the movement to utilize the whole animal. A revelation.

 

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Lunar New Year is almost upon us. The official "new year" to many of our Asian and Asian-American friends.

With bad news about some favorite farmers/producers struggling (see Estabrook on Niman Ranch and Australus Barramundi), I thought it might be a good time to talk about supporting those who give us good clean food, grown and produced in responsible ways. 

Why not create a Lunar New Year menu that says not only "Happy New Year" but also shows our support for these family farms, small producers, fishermen and artisans?

 

Some ideas: (links are to direct sites or to articles about them with embedded links to sites...)

• Fish from Australis Barramundi or from Gulkana Seafoods Direct. For other sustainable fish recipes and buying tips, see the Teach a Man to Fish round up here.
• Whole fish is a popular dish for new years. The head to tail shows full life, beginning to end.
• Rice from Koda Family Farms. This family's farm and business demonstrate the pain and success of immigrant America. Even if you don't care about that, they grow heirloom varietal rice in environmentally sound ways. And if that still doesn't get you, how about the fact that the rice is just wonderful to cook and to eat? They also have some new rice and grain blends. Please check them out - you won't be disappointed!

• Stone Crab are in season and this family business ships some of the best. Stone crab is a best choice on the seafood watch lists.
• Diamond Organics or local CSAs for your fruits and vegetables.

• If you want to try biodynamic wines or read more about New Year's Traditions click on either of these for more information.
• If you are curious about pairing Asian foods with wine, see Red Cook here for an excellent series on the topic.

While we're talking about special menus - everyone gearing up for Superbowl parties should check out Wild Idea Buffalo for their ribs. Unbelievably tender and delicious. Of course, BBQ sauce is red, making them a perfect color for auspicious eating. So add them to your Lunar New Year menu, too!

 

 

 

• For more Lunar New Year recipes see Jaden's Steamy Kitchen Party like its 4706!
• For Chinese recipes galore, including hot pot and wine pairings check out The Red Cook.

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Gung Hei Fat Choy!

 

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Now this might stir up some trouble up theah in Maine, but I have to say I just do not get what the excitement is about these shrimp.There, I've said it.

They are small, the texture is sort of soft, and the taste is very, very mild and not overly shrimpy. I've had, and enjoyed, dozens of varieties of shrimp and enjoyed nearly all (except for one weird Chinese species) but these just failed to incite anything at all like pleasure or interest. No theah theah one might say...if one were Gertrude Stein and speaking of pandalus borealis instead of Oakland.

Here is what they looked like fresh:

and cooked (boiled briefly in water that had lemon, fennel)

served with an Asian style dipping sauce (soy, ginger, scallion, chili)

The flavor was so mild that it almost didn't exist on its own. And, and it almost disappeared completely with the dipping sauce. I read posts where people boiled it with Old Bay which confounds me completely. You would taste nothing but Old Bay. Then again, maybe that would be better -- we love Old Bay!

Okay all you Mainers - let the daggers fly!

 

 

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Winter food for Locavores

Scotch, chocolate, wine, coffee, rice - the list of reasons I cannot be a true locavore or 100 mile diet proponent is endless. Fortunately, for those of us who enjoy eating well and trying to do eat sustainably, there are options. Supporting local farmers is getting easier, too.

Did you know there’s a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) you can buy into for the winter months?

• Drumlin Farms CSA includes a work requirement, which not all do.
• Stone Soup Farms - with pickup spots convenient to various parts of the city. (Thanks to Sam for the tip!)
• Here’s another great tip: Harvard Medical School includes the Center for Health and the Global Environment. Teaching medical students about biodiversity and the global benefits to patients and our environment is its goal. It provides a New England Eat Local Wallet card which shows month by month what's in season.

Boston has a wonderful S/O/L/E community and a growing one at that. We’ve evolved enough to know when someone’s just greenwashing us (mashup of whitewash and being inauthentic about being green = greenwashing). With my new feature, the Non-wimpy S/O/L/E Food Tuesday column, I’ve sought to share meat-free meals, recipes and dining out alternatives for friends and readers who want to broaden their culinary horizons.

If you are freaking out because you've invited someone to dinner and then discovered they're vegetarian, read this great post, Help! My friend is a vegetarian!, on Carrie & Danielle.

Once you've learned the steps to acceptance, sit back and enjoy...

...Parsnips and other root vegetables

Root vegetables of local origins are available, even if you don’t subscribe to a CSA (see below). Many farms will store them in root cellars (essentially cold, dark cellars) through the winter months. This is how folks did it before we warmed up the environment with all that carbon fuel and began flying and trucking stuff all over the country.

Parsnips are a favorite of mine and have never quite gotten their moment in the spotlight. Here are a couple of ways to use them:

• In soups - they add a nutty sweetness that I adore in chicken soup. I once served some to a friend’s father. He giggled at the first bite. I had no idea why, but it was like watching this man transformed to a child (remember that scene in Ratatouille?) He said “Parsnips. You have parsnips in your chicken soup!” I wasn’t sure if this was okay...then he smiled and said it reminded him of his grandmother’s soup.

Parsnips - nutty and slightly sweet (like some of our favorite people)

• Parsnips and Carrots - I made this for Christmas dinner with our Capon. Steam roasted in butter and water, glazed with sugar and butter, then finished with a tablespoon or two of cream and sprinkling of chervil.

• Parsnips are lovely mashed with potatoes, in soup, in roasted vegetable melanges. Fried matchsticks sprinkled with a little celery salt they are irresistable.

Celeriac - another under appreciated root vegetable

Celeriac is on the right.

Henry Patterson’s Favorite Celeriac

• medium onion
• minced garlic to taste
• 8 white mushrooms
• a bulb of celeriac
• large tomato (or 2 smaller)
• 4 leaves of kale (ours are still out there, frozen on the stalk)
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• a couple of sage leaves (optional, sub other herb of choice)
• fresh lemon

 

1. Slice up onion and mushrooms crudely:
2. Peel and cut celeriac into pieces like french fries (big julienne?)
3. Saute these with minimum of olive oil, good salt & pepper until softened
4. Add dice of tomato and saute another minute
5. Chop and add the kale and sage over this mixture, cover to steam the kale until brilliant green
6. Squeeze half a lemon over, toss all together and serve.

The celeriac is what makes this great.

Not local, but delicious - Meyer Lemons

This week I want to share another lemon dish (see the pasta and the lemon cake) because it’s delicious and because I got another box of lemons - I mean “office supplies” - from the in-laws.

Lemony Risotto (adapted from Bon Appetit)

• 2C of risotto (we got a deal on Carnaroli at Bina Alimentaria!)
  ~6 C of hot liquid (use light vegetable broth, the cartons are often very strong and would overpower this delicate risotto, combination of veg broth, water and wine would work. We used chicken broth)
• ~3 TBSP Butter/olive oil mix
• Shallots - one large or two small, chopped fine
• ~1/3 - 1/2 C  White wine
• Lemon juice, lemon zest (probably added juice of 1.5 Meyer lemons and zest of two)
• 2 TBSP parsley - chopped fresh
• 1/3 C frozen peas
• knob of butter
• 1 C Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Read about the basics of Risotto Perfetto here. Simple dishes require good quality ingredients as each will be prominent. 

1. Put broth on to simmer
2. Chop shallots, parsley, zest and juice your Meyer Lemons
3. Grate the cheese
4. Soften shallots in butter/olive oil
5. Add rice before shallots brown, stir to coat. Adding splash more oil if necessary.
6. Add wine stir to ensure even absorption.
7. Begin adding hot broth a cup or so at a time. Stir to incorporate.
8. When rice is nearly done, add peas, lemon juice, zest.
9. Finish with cheese, knob of butter and parsley.
10. Serve and enjoy!

 

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I've just had the best time watching this dog romp in the snow. I felt so happy after watching it, I thought "hm, I should share this with everyone and I should be sure to file it somewhere for  the next day that the blues start creeping near."

I give you Bailey the Unknown Reindeer...

 

 

We should all be so happy! Wishing it for all of you.

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A Few Firsts

After all these years in Boston, we finally made it to a “First Night” celebration. V-v-v-viewed ice sculptures in the f-f-f-freezing cold. It was gorgeous and we did it. (We also found a really nice sparkling blanc de blancs from Alsace for a whopping $13.00. We love Bauer Wines!) We had noodles to make the “smooth transition” to a new year in accordance with Japanese tradition.

The First Night adventure was a “first” for me at an age when new experiences are harder to come by. We wouldn’t have discovered the Willm sparkling wine bargain, had we not ventured out. Another recent first was my first roast capon. Wonderful bird, wonderful soup, and one of those “why did I wait so long?” kind of experiences.

I wrote a piece for a new client, Carrie and Danielle, called New Year’s Eve Traditions - Old & New.  In that piece, I shared some traditional foods and rituals from around the world.

• Do you know who eats pickled herring on New Year’s Eve?
• Who wears clothes with circular patterns and why?
• Why would you see a suitcase outside or old clothes flying out a window on New Year’s Eve?
• If you did, where would you be?

Carrie and Danielle is a place to find inspiration, laughs, gasps, and reflection. I hope you’ll enjoy the site and my NYE Traditions piece. In it, I share my once-private ritual of paper burning. You’ll have to read the piece to see if you like it, I’m not telling all here.

As my birthday comes ‘round this time of year - it always causes an extra dose of reflection on firsts, lasts, never haves and why nots. I came across the story of my first experience skiing out West which I wrote up to share with my father-in-law just after his cancer was diagnosed. Reading it again, I thought it might be good to share now while we are all full of resolve to live life more fully. My intent was not to minimize the diagnosis, but only to share one small example of strength and abilities we may not know we have.

What I learned in Jackson Hole

I learned to ski as an adult. Thrilled, I bought my own skis and tried to go as often as possible. Friends who were more experienced skiers kept telling me to go West. The skiing here on the East coast is so different, inferior. Once you experience real powder, they said, you’ll never be satisfied with the icy, so-called “packed powder” here. Besides, they said, real snow is easier for beginning skiers.

My chance came in a flier in a credit card bill. You know, those package deals offering flight and accommodations on the cheap? Jackson Hole, Wyoming – one of those ski destinations my skiing friends were talking about. So, for short money I took the 3 days, two nights ski trip. Real skiing! Real powder! Off I went!

Jackson Hole is a gorgeous little town. Done up to look authentic, as if the old-timers still lived there, but with art galleries and nice restaurants. I was so excited to try my new skiing skills out on real powder. I couldn’t wait, ready to ski on real snow.

Day One
It was cloudy and cold, but we headed to the lift. I was shocked at how slow the lift was. Compared to the lifts back home, this one seemed to take forever. Hmm. So far, this Western ski experience did not impress me. We finally got to the top and I was off. Or down. It seemed I’d forgotten more than I expected from the last ski season.

I skied about twenty or thirty feet and was down again. The backs of my skis were buried in so much snow. I was exhausted just from digging them out. Another twenty or thirty feet. Down again. Digging and digging to free my skis of all this “wonderful” powder. How had I forgotten how to ski in one summer? It really must be true that it’s different to ski on true powder. Maybe I just needed to distribute my weight differently.

On it went. Twenty feet of bliss, ten minutes of digging myself out. Eventually, I was able to adjust and could ski further and further before falling down. One thing I did notice was the lack of crowds. I practically had the mountain to myself. It was great not to worry about running over little kids who didn’t know I couldn’t really stop that well.

Sweaty, tired, I saw a lodge, part of the way down. Time for a break! This was great, even though I’d forgotten so much from just last winter; I was starting to get the hang of it again. The mountain was not crowded. Happy girl.

Day Two

I discovered the reason for the clouds (and the discount): a blizzard was moving in. It was so cold they closed the lifts due to frostbite hazard. My tears froze on my eyelashes walking two blocks to breakfast (remember the package deal - no food in my motel.) Next to me at the breakfast café was a famous Iditarod athlete in training. Everyone was talking about the storm and the cold, locals and tourists alike. The mountain pass to Grand Targhee was closed by snow. We had a day to shop for warmer clothes and boots. Extra socks. Very important.

Day Three

It was a colder day, but clear. Conditions improved and the lifts were opened. We arrived at the parking lot, to take the same lift.

When I looked up, I nearly fell over. Literally. Just to look to the top of the mountain, I had to bend back so far, I nearly fell over. I had to remind myself again and again that I had actually skied this mountain the day before. I couldn’t believe it was true, but I knew I had done it.

I stood there at the base of the mountain, barely able to move. Could I get on that lift again? Even with the knowledge that I had done it, I could barely make myself get on that lift again.

My epiphany

I am certain that had it been a clear day, that first day; had I seen that massive mountain, I never would have gotten on that lift. I also figured out that the lift was not slow, it was that the mountain was that high. I learned that Jackson Hole has the steepest vertical drop in the US. The summit is at 10,450. Yet, on day one, without the knowledge of the challenge before me, I was able to do something that my rational mind would never have imagined I could. Facing the mountain on day three, I realized I had skiied it the first day. I could do it that day.

I got on the lift, with no small amount of fear, had a great day, skied better and even extended my trip to go ski at Grand Targhee. (Another amazing day, complete with recitation by a cowboy poet driving our bus!)

Never haves and why nots

We don’t know what will happen, life takes some horrible turns. But living life in fear or under the illusion that we can control any of these things at all is not living. For those of us in a reflective place, I have some advice. If you're in the mood for resolutions, some tips.

Don’t let fear get in the way of those “never haves". Find ways to challenge yourself even if the dream adventure is out of reach. Challenge yourself in a small, private way. Whether it’s skiing a steep mountain or a frigid midnight New Year’s Eve adventure - tackling our “never haves” with a “why not” attitude is one resolution to consider.

It could be a thing you never told someone. A hurt you’ve carried - why not let go? Maybe it’s time to face it? Read my NYE rituals piece and see if there’s not something in it for you. Challenge yourself to one attainable goal this year, hope for something you dare not hope for, let go of something you don’t need to carry.

Further food for thought:

• How to make SMART Goals for Gourmets.
• New Year's Eve Traditions, Old and New

 

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