tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62762240897720456892024-03-13T21:12:51.244-07:00Bergamot OrangeBergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-83197934554164432192012-02-08T10:11:00.000-08:002012-02-08T10:13:42.742-08:00Bergamot Orange Has Migrated<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've moved. Not from Africa, heavens no, but to a nice little site all of my own. Please join me and <a href="http://www.bergamotorange.net/">Follow me there</a>. We'll continue our updates about a life from Africa.<br />
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</div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-57194111060033640292012-02-04T06:22:00.000-08:002012-02-04T06:22:56.140-08:00Preserved Lemons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> Every little Mom and Pop provisions shop around Tunis carries a few staples that a mother could send her 11 year old to fetch as she’s making dinner and realizes she’s missing a key ingredient. There will always be canned tomatoes, tuna, a big variety of pasta and couscous for a little store, eggs, butter, and a few cheeses, olive oil, a variety of cured olives, and preserved lemons. When I moved here, I intended to be all about using preserved lemon, but, as with the olives, while the store-bought ones are nicely flavored, I wonder how they have been prepared and handled. How many times has the brine been reused? Thinking about that puts me off a little. Preserving my own olives turned out to not be so hard. Preserving lemons takes just a few minutes to get started and about a month till you’re in the gold.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> My teaching partner and I have a shared hobby around the study and discovery of salt. It began when we developed a unit to teach our students about the impact of salt on the entire history of the world, an ambitious unit. In the process of our study, we both became energized on the subject. Richard gave me one of the most beautiful gifts I think I’ve ever received: a copy of Mark Bitterman’s impassioned “manifesto” (his subtitle) on the subject of salt, titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Salted-Manifesto-Essential-Mineral-Recipes/dp/1580082629"><i>Salted</i></a>, along with a small collection of about 16 of the earth’s rarest salts. Becoming educated about salt is going to be an ongoing pursuit and Richard and I are going to meet up in Portland this summer to visit <a href="http://www.atthemeadow.com/shop/">Mark’s specialty shop</a>, rather his temple to salt, to continue that process.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Following is the recipe for preserved lemons from <i>Salted</i> which yields about 1 quart.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">8 large lemons, scrubbed clean</div><div class="MsoNormal">About 3 cups rock sea salt (This is my modification. Mark calls for sel gris and maybe after I visit his store next summer I will be able to indulge in such a quantity of specialty salt, but for today, it will be nice-enough Tunisian sea salt.)</div><div class="MsoNormal">8 juniper berries (optional)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fresh lemon juice, as needed</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CZfQNgYONVQ/Ty07CpSayKI/AAAAAAAAGSc/NqzxDgchqIg/s1600/DSCN2835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CZfQNgYONVQ/Ty07CpSayKI/AAAAAAAAGSc/NqzxDgchqIg/s400/DSCN2835.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Process</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Cut the tips off the ends of the lemons. Cut each lemon into quarters lengthwise leaving them attached at one end. Pack the lemons with a much salt as they will hold. Insert one juniper berry into each lemon.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vkfv-df3vTU/Ty07OlPI32I/AAAAAAAAGSk/oYmpwR13ygg/s1600/DSCN2845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vkfv-df3vTU/Ty07OlPI32I/AAAAAAAAGSk/oYmpwR13ygg/s640/DSCN2845.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Put the lemons in a sterilized wide-mouth quart-size jar, packing them in as tightly as possible. As you push the lemons into the jar, some juice will be squeezed from them. When the jar is full, the juice should cover the lemons; if it doesn’t, add fresh lemon juice.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bQvaqTUrI6A/Ty07aJh_o4I/AAAAAAAAGSs/cAMI_3licXw/s1600/DSCN2857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bQvaqTUrI6A/Ty07aJh_o4I/AAAAAAAAGSs/cAMI_3licXw/s320/DSCN2857.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Seal the jar and set aside for 3-4 weeks, until the lemon rinds become soft, shaking the jar every day to keep the salt well distributed. The lemons should be covered with juice at all times; add more as needed. Rinse the lemons before using.<br />
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> What the heck do you use preserved lemons for? </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Fair question. I have to say that this is a condiment you have to just try and discover the quality it gives to dishes. It is not brightly lemony. It does taste deeply of lemon, but without the tart edge. It bears a saltiness, but you rinse it before use so the salt is in good balance. Once you try it in a few dishes, I wager you will start to crave the flavor depth it can provide. Here are some suggestions from my favorite food magazine, <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/135408278b8b9b81"><i>Cuisine</i>,</a> which is published in New Zealand.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "MS Reference Sans Serif";">●</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> In small quantities, preserved lemons add a little zing to tapenades as well as a refreshing flavor to couscous, lentil or quinoa salads. The liquid from the jar can also be used in dressings. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "MS Reference Sans Serif";">●</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> Preserved lemons transform yoghurt or mayonnaise to be used as a dressing and, finely chopped, add flavor to a tomato and cilantro salsa to accompany fish. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "MS Reference Sans Serif";">●</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> Add a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and finely chopped preserved lemon peel to cooked, warmed lentils or beans along with plenty of watercress or arugula. Serve with crumbled feta or as an accompaniment for grilled lamb. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "MS Reference Sans Serif";">●</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> Make a flavored butter by adding finely chopped preserved lemon, garlic and chives to softened butter. Spread under a chicken skin before roasting or serve atop a piece of fried fish. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "MS Reference Sans Serif";">●</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> Finish a seafood risotto with finely chopped preserved lemon or add to a gremolata, along with finely chopped parsley and garlic, to finish a braise of beef or lamb. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "MS Reference Sans Serif";">●</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> Add slivers of preserved lemons to vegetables before roasting. Or blanch and sauté broccoli or cauliflower in olive oil with garlic then add slivers of preserved lemon and some pitted olives. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "MS Reference Sans Serif";">●</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> Make a tagine of lamb or chicken by browning the meat then adding chopped onions, garlic, slivers of preserved lemons, cumin seeds, a few chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro and a little stock or water. Preserved lemons will also enliven all kinds of other casseroles. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-12126171268070073692012-02-02T10:44:00.000-08:002012-02-02T10:44:08.273-08:00Brown Sugar Pavlova with Strawberries<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>I went to our large produce market last weekend not because I needed anything different from what my corner produce stand has, but because I wanted the convenience of fish and produce in the same location.<span> </span>Remember last weekend’s fish fest?<span> </span>I was perfectly happy striving along with my fennel, potatoes, peppers, artichokes, lemons and herbs.<span> </span>There is so much more I need to do with just these selections.<span> </span>But, I went to the big market and look what they had:<span> </span>vine ripened, and some cute and tart unripened, tomatoes, Romanesco broccoli, which on its own could be a reason to move to Italy, and Narcissus, which are such a spring harbinger, but boy do they stink up the house.<span> </span>I’m finally ready to admit that.<span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jcH42K2urIU/TyrMQHOGOrI/AAAAAAAAGQ8/_HUjHPcl1D8/s1600/DSCN2697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jcH42K2urIU/TyrMQHOGOrI/AAAAAAAAGQ8/_HUjHPcl1D8/s640/DSCN2697.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>We have had a dribble of strawberries already, but being a seasoned Tunisian resident, I’ve lived here over a whole year now, I didn’t bite on the first buzz-bomb strawberry that caught my eye.<span> </span>No, I know we will still have some strawberries in May and I remember making strawberry jam in March last year, so I was waiting.<span> </span>I come from a strawberry-fulfilled county in Washington State.<span> </span>I know, however, that the first strawberries you see in June are from California and taste like sheetrock.<span> </span>You have to wait until the local berries are almost spoiled before you can get the really good ones.<span> </span>Don’t get me started on the year my county was practically dumping strawberries into dumpsters they had such a bumper crop and our local Trader Joe’s had a pyramid of California strawberries in their store.<span> </span>I didn't go in that store for about two years after that.<span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-73NQNjGXz14/TyrOgy9hESI/AAAAAAAAGRU/CEOnwJj6nes/s1600/DSCN2707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-73NQNjGXz14/TyrOgy9hESI/AAAAAAAAGRU/CEOnwJj6nes/s640/DSCN2707.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>We live by local harvests here.<span> </span>Can you imagine something so pure and wonderful?<span> </span>When you see strawberries in the market, you can buy them and they will be sweet and full of the tastes of earth and sunshine.<span> </span>I still can’t believe it.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>I am a big-time strawberry shortcake devotee, but only if every ingredient is homemade and real.<span> </span>For these gentle, hand-raised strawberries, I made a special, but wholesome, pavlova, bearing the warm flavor of brown sugar.<span> </span>The pavlova layers were a little crisp and chewy on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside.<span> </span>Piled with layers of whipped crème fraiche, and strawberries, it was a winter delight, especially as it was pouring rain outside.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Brown Sugar Pavlova with Strawberries</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">adapted from Gourmet Grilling, 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>For Meringue</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Confectioners' sugar for dusting</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup superfine granulated sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1/2 cup packed light brown sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tsp. distilled white vinegar</div><div class="MsoNormal">3/4 cup egg whites (5-6 large eggs) at room temperature for 30 minutes</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>For Berries</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">2 1/2 lb strawberries, trimmed and quartered</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 Tbsp granulated sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>For Cream</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 1/3 cup creme fraiche</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Make Meringue</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Preheat oven to 275 degrees F, rack in middle. Lightly butter 3 (8-inch) round cake pans and line with rounds of parchment paper. Dust sides of pans with confectioners' sugar, knocking out excess.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pulse superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a food processor until well combined.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Stir together vanilla and vinegar in a small bowl.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt , using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. Add vinegar mixture, then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue into pans (about 2 1/2 cups per pan) and smooth tops.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6d4-zPnittY/TyrSVrMxASI/AAAAAAAAGRw/RK3TtbltU-0/s1600/DSCN2678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6d4-zPnittY/TyrSVrMxASI/AAAAAAAAGRw/RK3TtbltU-0/s640/DSCN2678.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, about 1 hour (insides will still be moist and marshmallow-like).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Turn oven off and prop door open slightly, using a wooden spoon if necessary. Cool meringues in oven 1 hour. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0EYECk_VH4/TyrSi3jHTtI/AAAAAAAAGR4/G4xYmr7wpmo/s1600/DSCN2729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0EYECk_VH4/TyrSi3jHTtI/AAAAAAAAGR4/G4xYmr7wpmo/s640/DSCN2729.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Run knife along sides of cake pans and carefully turn meringues out of pans. Carefully peel off parchment (meringues will be fragile and may crack further). Carefully turn right side up.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Toss berries with sugar and let stand at room temperature until ready to use (up to 1 hour).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Assemble Dessert</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beat creme fraiche using an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Put 1 meringue on a serving plate and spread 1/3 of whipped cream over it. Spoon 1/3 of fruit (with juice) over top. Repeat layering with remaining meringues, cream, and fruit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iKh55eDKt7c/TyrSHNzEOuI/AAAAAAAAGRk/x1esz0xvTsE/s1600/DSCN2745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iKh55eDKt7c/TyrSHNzEOuI/AAAAAAAAGRk/x1esz0xvTsE/s640/DSCN2745.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-30913237909255795672012-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-30T10:00:37.253-08:00Red Snapper Chowder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyrIqcEcimM/TybXxC-2epI/AAAAAAAAGQc/v0_s4Gpm1qU/s1600/DSCN2793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyrIqcEcimM/TybXxC-2epI/AAAAAAAAGQc/v0_s4Gpm1qU/s640/DSCN2793.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The soup worked. I was kind of stressed about it. After I made such a dramatic point about the fish stock with my glassy-eyed John Dory photo, I knew some people wanted to know how the actual soup came off. And to tell you the truth, I had to really think about it. It has been a couple of years now since I’ve had the pleasure of a serving of the snapper chowder at Stock Market in Granville Island Market. I actually scrolled through the reviews of the restaurant looking for descriptors and found a few helpful ones. In the end though, I had to go deeply into my taste memory and what I clearly remembered is as follows: It was a little chunky. It had a base flavor of oysters and bay leaves. There was a ton of celery with some actual stringy bits that didn’t puree out. And it was completely nondairy. Here is how I built the soup to go with the stock.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ingredients</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 ½ - 2 yellow onions, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">A bundle of celery about 3” in diameter, including leaves, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 carrots, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 medium zucchini, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">1-2 leeks, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">3-5 bay leaves</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 potato, peeled and cubed</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 liters fish stock</div><div class="MsoNormal">¼ cup Arborio rice</div><div class="MsoNormal">2-3 fish fillets, diced into ½ inch cubes</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Sauté all of the vegetables, except the potato, in olive oil until soft, but not browned. Cook the potato in a small saucepan, with a little water, until tender. Puree vegetables in a food processor or with an emersion blender. Leave it a little chunky. Add solids to fish stock and heat. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Stir in Arborio rice and simmer until rice is soft. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Add the fish to the heated stock and simmer, without boiling, until fish is cooked, but tender. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Season with salt and pepper.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Serves 8-10</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BdYVPh3pvhg/TybYD9T-BMI/AAAAAAAAGQk/84URXfsa7hU/s1600/DSCN2806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BdYVPh3pvhg/TybYD9T-BMI/AAAAAAAAGQk/84URXfsa7hU/s400/DSCN2806.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Rosemary, Scallion Focaccia Bread is a David Tanis reprint. I have already written about it at <a href="http://bergamotorange.blogspot.com/search?q=Dinner+at+Diane%27s">Dinner at Diane’s</a>. It's always great, but remember, you have to start it one day ahead of when you want to eat it.</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-57231875975178796872012-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:002012-01-27T11:00:12.513-08:00Fish Stock<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> If I could do anything I want to this weekend… anything at all, I would go to Vancouver for the day and wander around <a href="http://www.granvilleisland.com/public-market">Granville Island Market</a>. This False Creekside maze is the creative, culinary hub of the city that is still my standard as the greatest city in the world. Sydney? Barcelona? Munich? They’re all great, but you cannot beat that fresh, west, native feeling of Vancouver, which at the same time is Manhattan hip and San Francisco grounded. With all of the big bounty of the Frazier Valley and the Pacific Ocean at hand, Granville Market serves as a food terminal moving it all along to kitchens and tables. There’s the produce, strawberries stacked in almost 12-inch high pyramids, and the seafood, the cheeses and pastas and almost every beautiful food item you could desire. So I dawdle through the sectors of the market, totally wide-eyed, my mind spinning with the options of the meals I could cook. And suddenly, I’m starving. Hunger comes upon me instantaneously and I have to eat that second. I always go to the same place; it’s called <a href="http://thestockmarket.ca/">The Stock Market. </a> This is a kiosk that sells vacuum-packed liters of their made-fresh-daily soups, fresh soup stocks, pasta sauces, dressings, and pestos. You know, this is where you really need to start your shopping and then work backward, picking up meat, or pasta, or vegetables to complete the dish. But how does this help my hunger issue? They sell containers of their daily soup topped with a big hunk of Rosemary focaccia bread and they always seem to have my favorite: red snapper chowder. I never considered that anyone else in the world had noticed the red snapper chowder at The Stock Market on Granville Island, but me, yet when I researched it, there seems to be an entire cult following for this soup. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ftkX7EELyEM/TyLtQ0sMPQI/AAAAAAAAGPs/kLOBBklJjqY/s1600/DSCN2497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ftkX7EELyEM/TyLtQ0sMPQI/AAAAAAAAGPs/kLOBBklJjqY/s640/DSCN2497.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> I found a beautiful St. Pierre, which is a Mediterranean species of John Dory, at a local market this week. I'll admit that he's not the most handsome fish, but I knew when I saw it that the post-fillet carcass of this fish was bound for fish soup stock, which is what is absolutely required if you’re going to make any kind of fish soup. This formula will fill a 1-gallon stock pot. The ingredient amounts are suggestions to give you an idea of the proportions so you can, of course, adjust them.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fish Stock</span><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ingredients: All well-washed and chopped in large pieces<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Onions, 2 large</div><div class="MsoNormal">Celery, 3 stalks, including lots of leaves </div><div class="MsoNormal">Leeks, 1 large or 2-3 small </div><div class="MsoNormal">Carrots, 2-3 large </div><div class="MsoNormal">Fresh garlic, 1 clove, peeled and smashed </div><div class="MsoNormal">Fresh parsley, about 1 cup </div><div class="MsoNormal">Thyme, 6 healthy sprigs </div><div class="MsoNormal">Bay leaves, 3-5 </div><div class="MsoNormal">Cloves, 2 </div><div class="MsoNormal">Black peppercorns, 20 whole </div><div class="MsoNormal">Sea salt , a little for now. You can adjust the salt in your finished dish.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Non-oily white fish bones (halibut, cod, red snapper or sole), rinsed and kept in large pieces<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cover with filtered water and low-simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When cool, strain the stock and compost the solids. Freeze or use the stock in soups, sauces, and braises.<br />
<br />
I plan to follow through with the snapper chowder and Rosemary focaccia bread this weekend and if all goes well, I'll post it here. Otherwise, I've got a gold mine of stock in my freezer for my next endeavor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-69843689015672661122012-01-23T10:46:00.000-08:002012-01-24T07:06:48.042-08:00Grilled Caesar Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4Il0cKxTWs/Tx2jgwl2XhI/AAAAAAAAGOE/081887aGn1I/s1600/DSCN2363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4Il0cKxTWs/Tx2jgwl2XhI/AAAAAAAAGOE/081887aGn1I/s640/DSCN2363.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> You know that January night when you come home from work and say, “Wait a minute, isn’t the sun usually down by now?” There is some lingering daylight hanging over the backyard and the long-shrouded barbecue is giving you a nod. We’re a month past solstice and at a minute per day, it amounts to something. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> I wanted so much to make this grilled Caesar salad last summer, but in Tunisia, Romaine lettuce is a winter crop, not summer. It is perfect and abundant now so tonight, we have a great opportunity to bring some summer into our winter work week. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> I use non-stick aluminum foil on the grill. With some planning, I can cycle through the entire meal with one set of foil. I started with leeks wrapped in pancetta and drizzled with excellent olive oil. Wrapping vegatables in pancetta and grilling them is one of my go-to food preparations. I do an entire bundle of vegetables at once and then put them in scrambled eggs for breakfast during the rest of the week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7HB4WVMPko/Tx2kYv8GlII/AAAAAAAAGOQ/qhFxOZPI2lA/s1600/DSCN2368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7HB4WVMPko/Tx2kYv8GlII/AAAAAAAAGOQ/qhFxOZPI2lA/s640/DSCN2368.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DinHYq_4IYE/Tx2kor1cbzI/AAAAAAAAGOg/sn27pbZnh40/s1600/DSCN2383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DinHYq_4IYE/Tx2kor1cbzI/AAAAAAAAGOg/sn27pbZnh40/s640/DSCN2383.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Next, I toasted bread, tossed in the leeky, salty olive oil. This is basically Texas Toast. Funny thing, my dad is from Texas and everything great in our house, when I was growing up, was from Texas. I actually thought that Texas Toast was my dad's invention until about 3 months ago when I heard my Canadian friend, Paul, mention Texas Toast to his sons in the context of not having a toaster yet because their shipment hadn't yet arrived. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zHmyD65yRw/Tx2lqX6V_oI/AAAAAAAAGOo/ArnntCQuBMc/s1600/DSCN2388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zHmyD65yRw/Tx2lqX6V_oI/AAAAAAAAGOo/ArnntCQuBMc/s640/DSCN2388.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Finally, you put the Romaine lettuce on the grill and leave it only until it develops grill marks. Grilling it in whole heads is extra beautiful, but mine came apart on its own. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tcNwlovEuz4/Tx2mEKA5hjI/AAAAAAAAGOw/8wrtRt21OG4/s1600/DSCN2397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tcNwlovEuz4/Tx2mEKA5hjI/AAAAAAAAGOw/8wrtRt21OG4/s640/DSCN2397.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Dressing:</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 flat anchovy fillets, drained and chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 small garlic cloves, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 large egg</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste</div><div class="MsoNormal">Artisinal salt (I used Himalayan pink salt)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Freshly ground pepper<br />
Blend all ingredients until emulsified. Adjust amounts to taste. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTco0wsm784/Tx2m6ccqI1I/AAAAAAAAGO4/04QJEJRnK_Y/s1600/DSCN2407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTco0wsm784/Tx2m6ccqI1I/AAAAAAAAGO4/04QJEJRnK_Y/s400/DSCN2407.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> We bought these eggs, individually, yesterday in the Tunisian countryside. I carried them home in a plastic bag. I felt like I was playing a party game on the way home, trying not to break the eggs. I won!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CflQIwVLd0I/Tx2qRSQdfaI/AAAAAAAAGPA/nk-C_FEPckc/s1600/DSCN2401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CflQIwVLd0I/Tx2qRSQdfaI/AAAAAAAAGPA/nk-C_FEPckc/s400/DSCN2401.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Toss the greens with the dressing, to taste. Coursely chop the leeks and pancetta and place on top. Dust with freshly grated Parmesan and pepper.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-PTmT7_V94/Tx7IyzaFuJI/AAAAAAAAGPk/BiHMlOG6lSE/s1600/DSCN2412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-PTmT7_V94/Tx7IyzaFuJI/AAAAAAAAGPk/BiHMlOG6lSE/s640/DSCN2412.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It doesn't just taste like a summer salad. It's a little bit roasted, a little bit wilted. It suits winter.</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-78073440431002244752012-01-21T00:50:00.000-08:002012-01-23T13:00:16.967-08:00Greens Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"> This recipe is the follow up to the <a href="http://bergamotorange.blogspot.com/search?q=It+Begins+with+the+Stock">vegetarian stock</a> that I previously posted. As I wrote there, I planned to make a soup of greens that I heard described on <i>The Splendid Table</i> (NPR). Anna Thomas was the guest and she just published a new cookbook: <i>Eating Well</i>. From listening to the interview, I believe that Anna’s definition of eating well means eating whole foods, extracting as much of the foods’ flavor and nutrition as culinarily possible and I definitely agree.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GB3azk-bSE/Txp2ahGFpGI/AAAAAAAAGNY/ygQWRjOWhqA/s1600/DSCN2280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GB3azk-bSE/Txp2ahGFpGI/AAAAAAAAGNY/ygQWRjOWhqA/s640/DSCN2280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"> If you’ve got the vegetarian stock already packed away in your freezer, this can come together after work. If you need to start from stock, then this is a weekend project, but worth it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> I won’t summarize the recipe first, but I do need to comment on the onions. Anna made a big point about caramelizing those onions to what may seem like an absurd degree. Her rule of thumb was when you think you’ve overcooked them, go another ½ hour. The bit of water you sprinkle over them once they’ve browned, and lidding the pan, keeps them from burning and steams them a little. I almost had caramelized onion paste when I finished and that’s probably about right.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> This is not a bright, springy type of green soup. Recall all of the browning of vegetables that has occurred both in the making of the stock and in the soup. Additionally, the Arborio rice base you create before cooking the greens sets a nutty, warm palette. You will need to finish it with good salt and fresh lemon juice to bring up some pop. I also especially enjoyed the lingering heat of the cayenne and don't think that drizzle of olive oil is optional. Buy the grassiest, first-cold-pressed olive oil you can find and top it off with just a touch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5-8iXk2IMA/Txp2rDHrXnI/AAAAAAAAGNg/DKZDD_zKGMM/s1600/DSCN2227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5-8iXk2IMA/Txp2rDHrXnI/AAAAAAAAGNg/DKZDD_zKGMM/s640/DSCN2227.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R8LAM7TdMIE/Txp20tQ2zYI/AAAAAAAAGNo/LX6p08fljaI/s1600/DSCN2252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R8LAM7TdMIE/Txp20tQ2zYI/AAAAAAAAGNo/LX6p08fljaI/s640/DSCN2252.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The soup is an excellent team player. Just on its own, it might be a little heavy. I had it once alongside <a href="http://kayesyrah.blogspot.com/2012/01/dinner-with-henrietta.html?spref=fb">a sparkling salad of fennel, parsley, and cranberries, with a citrus dressing,</a> and they were perfect mates. We all went home that night and dreamed of dancing vegetables. I had it a second time with a brunch of potato/gruyere quiche and blood orange juice and couldn’t imagine a more delicious combination than that. Make it up, pack in the greens, and pair it up with just about anything. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MpjnrKYPuI/Txp3FGSK-RI/AAAAAAAAGNw/EybXDbl3Ais/s1600/DSCN2214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MpjnrKYPuI/Txp3FGSK-RI/AAAAAAAAGNw/EybXDbl3Ais/s640/DSCN2214.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Basic Green Soup</div><div class="MsoNormal">From <i>Eating Well</i>, by Anna Thomas</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yield: 8 servings</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ingredients</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 large yellow onions, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon salt, divided</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons, plus 3 cups, water, divided</div><div class="MsoNormal">1/4 cup arborio rice</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 bunch green chard (about 1 pound)</div><div class="MsoNormal">14 cups gently packed spinach (about 12 ounces), tough stems trimmed</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 cups vegetable broth</div><div class="MsoNormal">Big pinch of cayenne pepper</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste</div><div class="MsoNormal">Drizzle of first, cold-pressed olive oil</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Instructions</div><div class="MsoNormal">1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25-30 minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 3 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a soup pot or Dutch oven; add rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Trim the white ribs out of the chard (save for another use, such as stir-fry or another soup). Coarsely chop the chard greens and spinach.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3. When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chard greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes. When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the rice along with the spinach, broth, and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender, but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches (return it to the pot). Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-77614366367925586862012-01-17T12:39:00.000-08:002012-01-24T06:46:57.251-08:00It Begins with the Stock<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> I make chicken stock regularly. This ritual has been a staple in my life for years and though I have wished for the idea of vegetarian stock, a vegetarian stock that is my soul mate, I have yet to discover one that satisfies me. I have tried many: organic store bought, concoctions involving brewer’s yeast, but I’m sorry to say that they have, for the most part, come out tasting strongly of a strange, particular ingredient or else… dish water. Usually, when a recipe calls for vegetable stock I substitute homemade chicken stock. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> I love <i>The Splendid Table</i> on NPR. I feel happy in the radio presence of Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the host. She is wise, yet so fresh with food. She is also constantly affirming of all the guests on her show, taking a sincere interest in their culinary discoveries and implying that she is eager to learn from them, too. Even Amy Sedaris. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wdWF8iJ6rZ8/TxXXhN6fsBI/AAAAAAAAGM4/vSlyqH3EItQ/s1600/DSCN2197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wdWF8iJ6rZ8/TxXXhN6fsBI/AAAAAAAAGM4/vSlyqH3EItQ/s640/DSCN2197.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> I am on a trajectory this week to make a greens soup that was described by a guest on <i>The Splendid Table</i>, Anna Thomas, who wrote a book called <i>Eating Well. </i>I am going to save her greens soup recipe for a few days because I first need to make a deeply flavored vegetable stock. I turned to the experience of Lynne Rossetto Kasper on this. She has a recipe for a Hearty Vegetable Broth. Her words, “There is nothing weak-kneed about this vegetable broth. It’s big flavors hold their own in any dish…” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If you are used to tossing a bunch of raw ingredients in a pot, covering them with water, and walking away to let them simmer when you make stock, you may find this is a little more complicated. To bring up the sugars in all of the vegetables, you cook them down until they are brown and beginning to stick to the pan. You then deglaze the pan with white wine and let that cook off. Finally, you add the cooked vegetables to some fresh ones, cover it all with water, and simmer it for a couple of hours. This process, along with a large portion of sautéed mushrooms, gives the stock depth that I think rivals a beef stock. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Hearty Vegetable Broth</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lynne Rossetto Kasper, <i>The Splendid Table</i>, NPR</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Ingredients:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">2 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">2 large carrots, coursely chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">2 large stalks celery with leaves, coursely chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">4 medium onions, coursely chopped </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, coursely chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">3 large cloves garlic, crushed</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">1 tablespoon dry basil or marjoram</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">2/3 cup dry white wine</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">6 large romaine lettuce leaves, coursely chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">1 large ripe fresh tomato, chopped, or 2 canned plum tomatoes, crushed</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">A pinch freshly grated nutmeg</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">About 4 to 5 quarts of water</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch saute pan or skillet (not non-stick) over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula, until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and basil and cook a few seconds more. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2Mj_bKMubs/TxXXv0XQpjI/AAAAAAAAGNA/4X9v_dsFL9E/s1600/DSCN2201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2Mj_bKMubs/TxXXv0XQpjI/AAAAAAAAGNA/4X9v_dsFL9E/s400/DSCN2201.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetables caramelizing and beginning to stick to the pan</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">2. Add the wine and stir, scraping up any brown glaze in the pan, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to an 8-quart stock pot. Add the romaine, tomatoes, nutmeg, and enough water to cover the solids by 3 to 4 inches. Bring to a gentle bubble, partially cover, and simmer slowly for about 90 minutes.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ewwMwpysc/TxXX_ZSM5LI/AAAAAAAAGNI/S7uR0zz_G0I/s1600/DSCN2204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ewwMwpysc/TxXX_ZSM5LI/AAAAAAAAGNI/S7uR0zz_G0I/s400/DSCN2204.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deglazing the pan with white wine</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvYVEq5mjok/TxXYL7hNZyI/AAAAAAAAGNQ/6PYyjrs1NkA/s1600/DSCN2207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xvYVEq5mjok/TxXYL7hNZyI/AAAAAAAAGNQ/6PYyjrs1NkA/s400/DSCN2207.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simmering stock</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">3. Strain the broth into a large bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Cool and chill. Skim off any solidified oil from broth's surface. Refrigerate or freeze in 1 quart portions or in ice-cube trays.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G154flXSIm0/Tx7EONdGqTI/AAAAAAAAGPQ/13sfd0bH610/s1600/DSCN2422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G154flXSIm0/Tx7EONdGqTI/AAAAAAAAGPQ/13sfd0bH610/s400/DSCN2422.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I felt like I was making an Asian soup with the lettuce and the mushrooms. The broth has a complex, yet natural flavor and this is only the stock. On to the greens soup.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-10485635988612227342012-01-14T06:44:00.000-08:002012-01-24T07:10:37.279-08:00Sticky Date Pudding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> Me dates ‘ave gone soft. If that isn’t a constant concern for cooks. We buy dates by the hank here. They’re still on the stem and bundled together, almost like a skein of yarn, and they taste like caramels.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIYJwOOf2WM/Tx7FdUuxZUI/AAAAAAAAGPY/_4EUtbNTxOo/s1600/DSCN2436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIYJwOOf2WM/Tx7FdUuxZUI/AAAAAAAAGPY/_4EUtbNTxOo/s640/DSCN2436.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
But they are dusty when you bring them home and need a rinsing. Usually they dry right out and have an ongoing shelf life, but this particular batch isn’t drying so well and they have gotten a bit sticky. So naturally, I thought of making another (also see<a href="http://bergamotorange.blogspot.com/search?q=whole+orange+cake"> Whole Orange Cake</a>) Australian housewives' staple dessert: sticky date pudding. You do know that a pudding is nothing more than a cake in British/Australian speak, so don’t let it intimidate you. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I first fell in love with this cake at a little Australian café in KATHMANDU, of all places. The restaurant was opened by an Australian couple who were trying to adopt a Nepali child. This turned out to be one complete genre of expat we frequently met in Nepal. Others were Buddhist students, missionaries, ancient hippies, mountaineers, and entrepreneurs, along with diplomats and aid workers. As the adoption process lingered on, this family decided to save the wear and tear on their family and just move to Kathmandu and open a restaurant, what they knew how to do. The name of the restaurant was The Red Dingo. I remembered this by association as it was right around the corner from another expat favorite, a Mex-Nepali restaurant called Lazy Gringo. What made that restaurant Mex-Nepali you ask? I guess it was mostly because all of the cheese they used was yak cheese, but there were other indicators, too. The Red Dingo, however, was quite un-Nepali which made it fun to visit now and then. Inside the ceiling to floor glass windows were black and white tiles, a blackboard with the daily menu, and lipstick red leather sofas and chairs where you could sit with several friends and pretend that you were being very urban and First World. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><div class="MsoNormal"> They always had sticky date pudding on the dessert menu. I know myself well enough by this time in life to understand how completely I am lured in by caramel sauce. Is anyone else defenseless against a sauce of butter, sugar, and cream? I thought so. The caramel sauce poured all over the date-studded cake causes the whole thing to just melt together. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Sticky Date Pudding</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Serves 8 </span></div><div><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;"><img alt="Description: lose" height="24" src="file:///Users/jbredy/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image002.png" width="68" /></span><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ingredients </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;">Print recipe</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;"><img alt="Description: ticky date pudding" height="41" src="file:///Users/jbredy/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image004.jpg" width="61" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;">Sticky date pudding</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;">Print your recipe with:</span></b></div><ul style="text-align: left;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="display: none;"><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;"> Main picture</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="display: none;"><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;"> All ratings, reviews and comments <b>(228)</b></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="display: none;"><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;"> All questions <b>(6)</b></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="display: none; font-family: Calibri;"><img alt="Description: rint" height="30" src="file:///Users/jbredy/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image006.png" width="132" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 1/2 c. pitted dates, chopped</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 1/2 cups boiling water</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 c. butter, softened</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup brown sugar</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">2 eggs</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted</span><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 1/2 tsp. baking powder</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></span><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Caramel sauce</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup brown sugar</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">3/4 c. thickened cream or creme fraiche</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">1/4 c. butter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Method</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line the base of an 8-inch springform cake pan.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Place dates and baking soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">comes out clean. When cool enough to handle, place plate under cake. Open springform pan side and remove it</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Make sauce:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">Pierce pudding all over with a skewer or large-tined fork. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding. Let </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;">stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt;"> Serve with remaining warm sauce.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3E_P6f-H69Q/TxGKnnrcwsI/AAAAAAAAGMI/a4gFGJV75Og/s1600/DSCN2082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3E_P6f-H69Q/TxGKnnrcwsI/AAAAAAAAGMI/a4gFGJV75Og/s640/DSCN2082.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Srd7zCy3dWo/TxGKxHzb30I/AAAAAAAAGMU/r7qKkqXAEVc/s1600/DSCN2091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Srd7zCy3dWo/TxGKxHzb30I/AAAAAAAAGMU/r7qKkqXAEVc/s640/DSCN2091.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished cake swimming in caramel sauce. I love the air hole indicating the sauce is soaking way inside.</td></tr>
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</div> Next time your dates go soft (not an idiom) you know just what you can do with them.<br />
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<ul type="disc"></ul> </div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-70391241451685434382012-01-10T11:15:00.000-08:002012-01-15T10:23:49.290-08:00Between the Pear and Cheese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikt2zvTnZcY/TxMZhZgGfYI/AAAAAAAAGMo/689dbW7B-bY/s1600/DSCN2032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikt2zvTnZcY/TxMZhZgGfYI/AAAAAAAAGMo/689dbW7B-bY/s640/DSCN2032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN"></span></span><span class="hps"><span lang="EN"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I love putting French phrases into Google translator to see what I get. The super literal translation, messing around with the syntax, sometimes puts words in a slightly more poignant order and makes me take them more poetically. Take for instance this French starter recipe I found this week. Obviously, it is a lovely stack of pear/cheese/pear etc, but isn’t that title just begging for an ellipses? Are you already filling in the blank for what comes between the pear and the cheese? Literally? Metaphorically?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I’ve been playing around with a magazine this week that is the French equivalence of <i>Bon Appetit.</i> It is called <i>a table</i>. I’ve learned so much translating recipes, making predictions about what I think is called for and then sometimes getting surprised. For example, many recipes call for 1 c. a café de ________ or 1 c. a soupe ____________. Even though it didn’t exactly make sense for the recipe I was fairly assured that I was going to be using a coffee infusion and some other sort of liquid solution. It turns out that the first one is a teaspoon and the second is a tablespoon. That’s all. Now, isn’t that surprising and nonintuitive?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN"> This recipe says almost everything with the photo. It is simply a strata of pear and cheese that has been sprinkled with lemon juice and dusted with a cracked pepper mixture. It comes together more deliciously than the short list of ingredients suggests. If you want to make it more substantial, place it on a bed of greens that have been tossed with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. For the full winter detox meal, follow the salad with a bowl of <a href="http://bergamotorange.blogspot.com/2011/05/last-bites-of-umbria.html">my favorite lentil soup. </a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN">6 small pears</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN">200 grams of any delicious cheese</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN">½ lemon, juiced</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Mixed peppercorns, cracked</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span class="hps"><span lang="EN">Peel</span></span><span lang="EN"> <span class="hps">pears, leaving stem</span>. Core <span class="hps">them</span> <span class="hps">from below. Sprinkle all sides of pears with</span> <span class="hps">a few drops of</span> <span class="hps">lemon juice. Cut into</span> <span class="hps">4</span> <span class="hps">pieces each</span> <span class="hps">(see</span> <span class="hps">photo). If bottom doesn’t sit flat, trim it straight across.</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Thinly slice the cheese, preparing about 5 slices per serving. Encourage some rough edges.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Arrange on a plate.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Sprinkle with cracked pepper.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN">6 servings</span></span> </div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-52232544708654208612012-01-08T09:59:00.000-08:002012-01-21T00:54:25.737-08:00Winter Preserves Pork Ribs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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There is a reason why humans invented the preservation methods of drying, candying, smoking, freezing, and keeping foods in airtight jars. Of course, we all know it was to extend the life of foods a little beyond the growing season and to prevent starvation during the dormant months. The other motivation was to keep foods so they could be transported from an entirely foreign climate which would allow people to enjoy pineapples, and cloves, and even herring when they had no way of harvesting those foods themselves. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> When I travel, I am always picking up interesting dried herbs and spices, dried fruit, potted meats, and fruit preserves. It is a luxurious feeling to know I have exotic hard spices or a glistening jar of preserves in the pantry, but sometimes, those “special” items get passed over when I am cooking because they require a little bit of imagination or preparation such as toasting and grinding. Also, it is true that people just don’t eat so many jams and jellies as they used to even though we still love the idea of them. Rather than waiting for the odd piece of receptive toast, this type of recipe is a great way to use those gems.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> My intent today was to use a good quantity of my pantry items with pork ribs as the vehicle. The recipe is then easily adaptable to your own pantry. If you think of your basic barbecue sauce you usually take a base like tomatoes, contrast it with mustard and vinegar, and then add a few spices for flavor. With that formula in mind, I made ribs that were akin to the sticky Chinese style, without replicating that icon. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Spice Mix</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced</div><div class="MsoNormal">5 cloves garlic, minced</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 shallots, minced or 1 tbsp. dried</div><div class="MsoNormal">Artisinal salt to taste</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grind the following in a spice grinder:</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ tsp. each of cardamom, cloves, dried peppers, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, and star anise (I also added a Tunisian specialty of dried bitter orange blossoms. If you want the extra orange essence, you can add some orange zest.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mix all spice ingredients together.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Marinade</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup black sesame paste</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup orange or lemon marmelade</div><div class="MsoNormal">1/3 cup tomato vinegar or ketchup</div><div class="MsoNormal">1/3 cup soy sauce</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Stir spice mix into marinade ingredients. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Dice 1 large onion. In a deep baking dish, layer chopped onions and rib sections that have been covered on both sides with the marinade mixture. Intersperse so the onions touch all sides of the pork. Pour 1 cup water around the side of the meat. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 300 degrees for two to three hours or until the meat is completely tender. Uncover for the last 30 minutes to reduce the liquid and caramelize the meat. If the cooking liquid is still watery, remove the meat and reduce the liquid in a saucepan on the stovetop until it thickens.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4olam8f2NpM/TwnSBcUUFcI/AAAAAAAAGLM/11PbF3-p__I/s1600/DSCN1953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4olam8f2NpM/TwnSBcUUFcI/AAAAAAAAGLM/11PbF3-p__I/s640/DSCN1953.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">In a small foil pan or open topped foil packet (approx.. 6” square), combine ½ cup black or green tea, ½ cup dry rice, and ¼ cup brown sugar. Place in the bottom of a barbecue with a lid. Heat barbecue to medium heat. When tea mixture begins to smoke, add ribs for approximately 15 minutes or until they have taken on a subtle smoky flavor. Remove ribs to a platter. When cool, discard tea packet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lAA-5nZBHCo/TwnSROGAKwI/AAAAAAAAGLU/jpPIFGvhQrs/s1600/DSCN1975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lAA-5nZBHCo/TwnSROGAKwI/AAAAAAAAGLU/jpPIFGvhQrs/s640/DSCN1975.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Spicy, bright, sweet, smoky. Very nice for a winter Sunday supper. What's in your pantry?</div> <br />
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</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-47835011743311302812012-01-06T00:51:00.000-08:002012-01-21T00:56:02.559-08:00Pretty Pictures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYP1xHEG20g/TxMcJ4vkLTI/AAAAAAAAGMw/gWtsn0Hcv0g/s1600/DSCN1918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYP1xHEG20g/TxMcJ4vkLTI/AAAAAAAAGMw/gWtsn0Hcv0g/s640/DSCN1918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I’m trying hard to stop taking pictures of pretty things (Thanks Karen for ruining that for me). On my last day of European vacation I am almost prettied out, anyway. There was so much to take in and I did and I also photographed most of it. I’m full and happy and ready to go home and live simply and work hard again. That’s the point of a vacation right? To make you crave the routine you were previously fatigued with living. I love that we live in close proximity to Europe, but that we go home to the pared down existence of Tunis. It feels like a good life balance. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Allan and I are driving our final bit of French countryside as we approach Paris for our flight out tomorrow. We are going over things that we thought were a success from the trip or cautions we would have for another time. Here is our list of what we learned.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Packing</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Pack lightly! For a three-week winter trip you can get by with the following:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>3 pairs of jeans</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>3-5 long sleeved cotton shirts (some of mine were turtlenecks)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>One black turtleneck sweater</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>One zippered, hooded fleece sweatshirt</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>1 pair of sweatpants</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Slippers</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Underwear (no more than 5 pairs)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Socks (no more than 5 pairs, one wool)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Down jacket that can layer over other items</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Hat and gloves</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>One pair of sturdy, comfortable boots</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Don’t bring a hair dryer</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Buy toiletries as you need them at a grocery store or pharmacy</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Ski gear, optional</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Laundry</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> This is a nightmare. Compounding the complication that most places don’t have clothes dryers is the fact that the wash cycle alone takes a minimum of 1.5 hours. I advise that you look for every possibility to run a load and then try to dry them wherever you can. Radiators are your best ally. When you run out of washing machine options you can hand wash everything (even jeans) and they will eventually get dry. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Beverages</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Everything to drink is expensive. An espresso can be as much as 8 Euros, a bottle of wine starts at 25, and even water is around 3 Euros. Bring a French press coffee maker and ground coffee to make coffee in your room, buy wine and beer in grocery stores, and refill your own water bottle with perfectly drinkable tap water. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Food</b></div><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> Try everything, especially the regional specialties. You don’t have to eat a sit down meal at a restaurant to eat well. Some of the best foods are perfect for take-away like breads, charcuterie, and cheeses. There are also easily available traiteurs who sell food designed to take home and put in the oven or microwave. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b>Accommodations</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> We were super lucky to stay at our friends’ apartment for several days of our trip, but for our time in Munich, we pitched a vacation exchange proposition and got a bite. We don’t have to completely turn over our home to do this. We’ve got guest rooms and will be happy to give our host a return few nights in our home. These two apartments really helped us get off the Euros ticker for a few nights. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I use the website <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals">TripAdvisor</a> a lot. I try to find rooms for around 80 Euros in a good location with free WiFi. I have found that spending more money than this doesn’t necessarily get us a better room. I much prefer a spare but clean room with simple supplies to a faux-fancy hotel with gross carpet and one of those slick, floral, germ catching bedspreads. We also took another look at B & Bs after many years of eschewing that option (I don’t know why, now). Paris can be notoriously expensive and the rooms tiny. Since we had a car, we stayed in a village near <a href="http://www.la-sucrerie.com/">Versailles </a>for a couple of nights and another in a village near Charles de Gualle airport. For the same or less money than a cheap hotel, these B & Bs were just as convenient, but multiple times more enjoyable than the expensive airport hotels.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Souvenirs</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Here is something that I honestly experienced. At the end of the day, I got a similar amount of satisfaction from looking at the pictures I had taken that day and thinking about what I might do with them as I would get from laying out a bagful of purchases. There were some things I knew I wanted, like a few pieces of Polish pottery, but I didn’t need a lifetime supply, just a couple. I do treat myself to some useful items, generally for the kitchen. I bought some molds, a <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=bain+marie&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=HNv&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1408&bih=637&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5243290315019796179&sa=X&ei=6kMHT6jdG5OYhQfH8_SQCQ&ved=0CH8Q8wIwAA">bain marie</a>, and a ceramic baking dish and when I use them, I will remember Versailles, the Alps, and the Bourgogne region where I purchased them. We also buy food souvenirs that we go right ahead and eat and share with our friends as soon as we return. We buy that stuff at a local grocery store, not specialty stores. We both have a lot of fun discovering products available in various cities and leave with treasures like dehydrated shallots, marzipan, and of course some local wines that we transport in <a href="http://thejetbag.com/">wine diapers</a> to hopefully prevent one of them from breaking in a bag and ruining every thing in it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Transportation</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"> We were back and forth about riding the train versus renting a car. Once we priced out the train for five adults and thought about the additional inconvenience of packing around our bags and getting from train stations to hotels, it didn’t weigh out. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The first car we were issued couldn’t even hold 5 people with a bag each so they brought us a Citroen minivan. It was comfortable enough for us and we thought that was all we had to be concerned about. On our drive from Prague to Krakow we had to cross mountain passes with icy roads and we realized that this wasn’t a winter-ready vehicle. We had it inspected by the Citroen dealer in Krakow and he told us we had bald summer tires. The rental agency wouldn’t do anything to improve the safety of that car because they said we weren’t authorized to go to Poland. We had no choice but to creep all the way back to Paris, where they did exchange the car for a four-wheel drive that could safely take us to the Alps. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We learned a lesson from this to check about areas that are excluded from service when we make the reservation and to check the tires when we pick up the car. We were protected with dry, clear roads all the way back, but it could have been a bad situation. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">One more consideration about driving is that there are frequent tolls throughout Europe. They seem to be worth it as the roads are excellent with frequent rest stops, but I would estimate that we spent around 150 Euros on tolls in three weeks.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Our final and perhaps most emphatic recommendation is get a car with GPS. We are sure we saved ourselves a full day of getting lost and wandering around aimlessly. There were places we drove right to (B and Bs in dark villages, city apartments) that would have been difficult to ever find. GPS can save a lot of wear and tear on your relationships and you need all of that you can preserve on an extensive car trip.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Now, it’s back to Tunis and our routines, there. What I’m most looking forward to? My bed with 600 thread count sheets, our own washing machine, getting back to some organizing and simplifying both at home and at work, and finally, learning. I’ve got a lot I want to learn this year and I will try to write it up and share it along the way. Thanks for reading.</div> <br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"> </span> </div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-90003947075064277272012-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:002012-01-10T11:22:18.376-08:00Civilized Skiing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> I like skiing and I can still do it. This is good news. Yesterday, after my first day of skiing in several years, I hated it. Yesterday looked like this, which looks quaint for a Christmas card, but I can tell you it provided zero visibility on the ski slope. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RMqP_jg-TDk/TwM6P0k3X_I/AAAAAAAAGI0/ffKsahBqohI/s1600/DSCN1788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RMqP_jg-TDk/TwM6P0k3X_I/AAAAAAAAGI0/ffKsahBqohI/s400/DSCN1788.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">My entire day was defense against icy speed and bumps that I couldn’t see coming. I also feared I was paying the price for about three weeks now without going to the gym and an almost steady diet of charcuterie and fromage. And there was also a lot of bread.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I really wondered if I had waited too long, let my skills go, and skiing was a lost sport to me. This made me sad because Allan and I have long harbored visions of ourselves being those lean, Norwegian-type retirees you always see at ski resorts. These are not tourists. They are locals who have, over their lifetimes, developed a deeply artistic and all-business style of skiing. They are really about interacting with the mountain. You see them shooshing down the slope below you from the chairlift and it’s like they just started at the top of the mountain, pointed their skis downhill, and then danced in an unbroken rhythm to the music in their heads. Pure ballet. Then you see them in the lodge at lunch, not eating the burger and fries, but their own tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread (surely homemade) and an apple. Then it’s right back to why they are there: working those slopes. When I woke up this morning, not excruciatingly sore in every molecule of my body and there was also a bright blue sky, I took these as signs from God that I should give it another solid attempt. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KyX8dkR33v4/TwM7WQQMDlI/AAAAAAAAGJA/aINIG42nYiw/s1600/DSCN1820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KyX8dkR33v4/TwM7WQQMDlI/AAAAAAAAGJA/aINIG42nYiw/s640/DSCN1820.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The thing about skiing is that it requires you to focus 3 to 10 feet ahead, pick a path, and then try to ski it with strength and hopefully some style. For that reason, it is very meditative and mind-clearing. You just can’t think about anything but the moment. I will admit that I linked together a few admirable sequences. Predictably, there were also awkward moments, but nothing face splatting… today.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Allan said, “ You will love skiing in the Alps. It’s so civilized.” He had taken a student group from Singapore skiing in Verbier years ago and told me about how you can ski for kilometers and then come upon a little hut where you can have a beautiful lunch and rest before heading on your way. We found such a hut today. The proprietor is this handsome gray-haired man. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9CyWa4YIyI/TwM7jiFEEQI/AAAAAAAAGJM/dJbOv-HkWwA/s1600/DSCN1814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9CyWa4YIyI/TwM7jiFEEQI/AAAAAAAAGJM/dJbOv-HkWwA/s400/DSCN1814.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The menu of the day was salmon a la fondue with four vegetables: roasted endive, roasted potatoes, stuffed tomato, and salad. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uVyPsFkHYSI/TwM7vWyxHGI/AAAAAAAAGJY/fpm0C0BFPns/s1600/DSCN1799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uVyPsFkHYSI/TwM7vWyxHGI/AAAAAAAAGJY/fpm0C0BFPns/s400/DSCN1799.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLkt_KqAlVE/TwM73YH53NI/AAAAAAAAGJk/tDkoSW59Cwo/s1600/DSCN1805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLkt_KqAlVE/TwM73YH53NI/AAAAAAAAGJk/tDkoSW59Cwo/s640/DSCN1805.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Then people sat around sunning on the terrace before strapping on the skis and getting in a couple more hours of ski runs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPit5FZd5YQ/TwM8AsiGOEI/AAAAAAAAGJw/6DLmOolLqfk/s1600/DSCN1801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPit5FZd5YQ/TwM8AsiGOEI/AAAAAAAAGJw/6DLmOolLqfk/s400/DSCN1801.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5tpuO-E0B28/TwM8IIhXpAI/AAAAAAAAGKA/Vr0kydiKl_Q/s1600/DSCN1811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5tpuO-E0B28/TwM8IIhXpAI/AAAAAAAAGKA/Vr0kydiKl_Q/s640/DSCN1811.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div> <span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">That’s not exactly the elegant Norwegian model, but it was really civilized</span> </div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-71244588388319878742012-01-01T09:33:00.000-08:002012-01-06T11:13:54.681-08:00New Year's Day in the Alps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> After a switchbacking drive into the mountains, Allan and I are at Alpes d'Huez. It is a ski resort that was recommended by a teacher at our school who takes students on ski trips here so it has a dormitory vibe. I kind of like that. It’s basic and our breakfast, dinner, room, and ski gear are all included. All we have to do is eat, ski, sleep, think, and talk.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ogTBy3JMO1g/Twc_BZz6VWI/AAAAAAAAGKg/hLCJ9T7KOuU/s1600/DSCN1773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ogTBy3JMO1g/Twc_BZz6VWI/AAAAAAAAGKg/hLCJ9T7KOuU/s640/DSCN1773.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"> It is always a transition for us after we have been with our sons for a period of time. We want to maximize every second with them and we have such a full time, but then they are suddenly gone and we look at each other and think, <i>well, it’s you and me again.</i> You can almost audibly hear a down-shifting between us. We don’t need to make dinner plans for four, keep the group entertained, or laugh at all of the jokes. We can be spontaneous and even quiet if we want to. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">You hear about couples who get into troubled waters when their kids leave home. I can understand why. People change more than they think they will as the years go by. You’ve heard the warning that if you want to know what your spouse will be like, just look at his or her parents. I think when I reached 40 or 45 and I didn’t seem to be exactly like either of my parents, I thought I had broken the mold. But then 50 came and I see mannerisms creeping up on both Allan and me that are inbred. Some things we are aware of and some we aren’t. They aren’t all bad, but it might take quite a lot of determination to avoid others. It might get interesting. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Yet, when we have some demand-free time to just exist together, we get back into our friends element. I still really like being with Allan. He’s funny, kind, smart, and athletic. I don’t see us hitting the marriage wall and my advice to friends who are in the thick of child-raising is to tend your relationship with your mate. You’re going to need someone you like being with when your kids get on an airplane and leave one day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We need a segue here. It’s New Year’s Day and it has been many years since I haven’t been on my Lummi Island farm for this day. It might be my favorite day of the year. Our best friends come out and we have our Polar Bear swim in Rosario Strait, then it’s up to the hot tub and a highly caloric feast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvmxTrELgEc/TwCS70xeLxI/AAAAAAAAGHs/RR2bD7LkFW8/s1600/IMG_7757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvmxTrELgEc/TwCS70xeLxI/AAAAAAAAGHs/RR2bD7LkFW8/s400/IMG_7757.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3b_Mcpzy8fk/TwCTEw9aoFI/AAAAAAAAGH4/zIOG7A3DyJw/s1600/IMG_7761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3b_Mcpzy8fk/TwCTEw9aoFI/AAAAAAAAGH4/zIOG7A3DyJw/s400/IMG_7761.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Last year, I made French food: bouillabaisse, fondue, and couer a la crème. This was just weeks before I started photographing every bite I ate for a possible blog entry so I don’t have photos of the food. I only have one of the kids who we made eat outside because the house is small, it was a beautiful day (although cold), and they are really noisy. This explains why they look sad and seized up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ADsghusdZGA/TwCTUZR0T8I/AAAAAAAAGIE/MQPlnItwwKc/s1600/IMG_7765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ADsghusdZGA/TwCTUZR0T8I/AAAAAAAAGIE/MQPlnItwwKc/s400/IMG_7765.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Today I had a fondue lunch with just my husband in the Alps. I definitely never saw that coming a year ago. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tjl_ZiBL3Ek/TwCTimUCHRI/AAAAAAAAGIQ/TAg0u79RXaE/s1600/DSCN1767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tjl_ZiBL3Ek/TwCTimUCHRI/AAAAAAAAGIQ/TAg0u79RXaE/s640/DSCN1767.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I miss my friends, our farm, and our kids, but being here with Allan is just fine, too.</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-32005013550277546892011-12-30T14:28:00.000-08:002012-01-06T10:37:48.616-08:00Paris for a Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9mc1sa0CzQ/TwCZxOj27iI/AAAAAAAAGIo/x8onOfxBt5E/s1600/DSCN1679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9mc1sa0CzQ/TwCZxOj27iI/AAAAAAAAGIo/x8onOfxBt5E/s400/DSCN1679.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<i>If l had my way <br />
I'd just … wander <br />
Down the Champs Elysées </i></div><div class="MsoNormal">(Joni Mitchell, <i>Free Man in Paris</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I sang this about 100 times today. We had so much fun. After the hundreds of kilometers we’ve logged across the heartland of Europe over the past two weeks, we felt like we made some kind of triumphal reentry into Paris yesterday, where we began. We know each other a lot better now and have a bunch of great, shared memories. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Today was a celebration of our time together, and of Paris, and winter. We started at our groovy B & B about 20 km outside of Paris. I haven't stayed in a B & B since the early 90s. This really took me back and made we wonder why I stopped seeking them out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TQGPu4eBxJw/Tv4zWsaY0SI/AAAAAAAAGDM/eJapixY1G9E/s1600/DSCN1574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TQGPu4eBxJw/Tv4zWsaY0SI/AAAAAAAAGDM/eJapixY1G9E/s400/DSCN1574.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DNB8yGjLs_c/Tv4z39hVEjI/AAAAAAAAGDk/jhdRgqPBT4s/s1600/DSCN1570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DNB8yGjLs_c/Tv4z39hVEjI/AAAAAAAAGDk/jhdRgqPBT4s/s400/DSCN1570.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0_uH5c1zpZg/Tv40KsMUktI/AAAAAAAAGDw/jeq8-970gek/s1600/DSCN1577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0_uH5c1zpZg/Tv40KsMUktI/AAAAAAAAGDw/jeq8-970gek/s400/DSCN1577.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The morning was spent gaining a little perspective at the Versailles grounds. I love formal gardens in winter when you can see all of their structure and design. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w76B0bT_-yY/Tv40g6iuwYI/AAAAAAAAGEA/jilKcOeoZwI/s1600/DSCN1586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w76B0bT_-yY/Tv40g6iuwYI/AAAAAAAAGEA/jilKcOeoZwI/s400/DSCN1586.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iREclbDQ06Y/Tv40sYt_2GI/AAAAAAAAGEM/nk__VeLoBCQ/s1600/DSCN1590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iREclbDQ06Y/Tv40sYt_2GI/AAAAAAAAGEM/nk__VeLoBCQ/s400/DSCN1590.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76sOxwRSLQw/Tv403Di6U_I/AAAAAAAAGEY/uYXykjQqqUo/s1600/DSCN1591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76sOxwRSLQw/Tv403Di6U_I/AAAAAAAAGEY/uYXykjQqqUo/s400/DSCN1591.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FenlEltW26I/Tv40_teVlkI/AAAAAAAAGEk/922EIE1zV2w/s1600/DSCN1601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FenlEltW26I/Tv40_teVlkI/AAAAAAAAGEk/922EIE1zV2w/s400/DSCN1601.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The afternoon was dedicated to the Eifel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, finished with the wished for wander down the Champs Elysees. It was a little cold and a little drizzly, but never so much that it dampened the day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dsYS8MHPzp8/Tv41KVq8KnI/AAAAAAAAGEw/mwvgovJvRNw/s1600/DSCN1606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dsYS8MHPzp8/Tv41KVq8KnI/AAAAAAAAGEw/mwvgovJvRNw/s400/DSCN1606.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y9MVBYLcu4/Tv41b59XAlI/AAAAAAAAGE8/j3Tecm3xtNk/s1600/DSCN1626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y9MVBYLcu4/Tv41b59XAlI/AAAAAAAAGE8/j3Tecm3xtNk/s640/DSCN1626.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H3P3ewAR3hI/Tv41yljPV4I/AAAAAAAAGFU/93MFTHZJaNE/s1600/DSCN1619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H3P3ewAR3hI/Tv41yljPV4I/AAAAAAAAGFU/93MFTHZJaNE/s400/DSCN1619.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7EVmN7Wv8Qc/Tv41_8zrX-I/AAAAAAAAGFk/cwtnXwBw2zE/s1600/DSCN1644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7EVmN7Wv8Qc/Tv41_8zrX-I/AAAAAAAAGFk/cwtnXwBw2zE/s640/DSCN1644.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5MJBO1womU/Tv42RaZDAeI/AAAAAAAAGF8/ieJhpfvZhIo/s1600/DSCN1654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5MJBO1womU/Tv42RaZDAeI/AAAAAAAAGF8/ieJhpfvZhIo/s400/DSCN1654.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SozDKJ6B9Ts/Tv42t9M6tNI/AAAAAAAAGGI/DXTW6Zd2uX0/s1600/DSCN1663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SozDKJ6B9Ts/Tv42t9M6tNI/AAAAAAAAGGI/DXTW6Zd2uX0/s640/DSCN1663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyZ4RydBVvI/Tv43BBxqTpI/AAAAAAAAGGU/c8f7G4is9AA/s1600/DSCN1669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyZ4RydBVvI/Tv43BBxqTpI/AAAAAAAAGGU/c8f7G4is9AA/s400/DSCN1669.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We finished the day with a supper of bread, cheeses, salami, and pate in Le Sucrerie’s living room, before retiring to big fluffy beds upstairs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQTe315e9us/Tv43SBdZcPI/AAAAAAAAGGg/eBGqD6jEEvQ/s1600/DSCN1550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQTe315e9us/Tv43SBdZcPI/AAAAAAAAGGg/eBGqD6jEEvQ/s400/DSCN1550.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vLq_yZkxKas/Tv43aEt2JkI/AAAAAAAAGGs/7V3UDURG1sA/s1600/DSCN1545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vLq_yZkxKas/Tv43aEt2JkI/AAAAAAAAGGs/7V3UDURG1sA/s400/DSCN1545.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RsZQzexErAA/Tv43i4gKLtI/AAAAAAAAGG4/vIUmHej-Ua0/s1600/DSCN1546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RsZQzexErAA/Tv43i4gKLtI/AAAAAAAAGG4/vIUmHej-Ua0/s400/DSCN1546.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucySR-X8qV0/Tv43u9LwOBI/AAAAAAAAGHE/FnRBY_J2WE0/s1600/DSCN1541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucySR-X8qV0/Tv43u9LwOBI/AAAAAAAAGHE/FnRBY_J2WE0/s400/DSCN1541.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Boys go home early tomorrow morning and I can say we’ve lived every minute to the fullest. Great young men. Fantastic company.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-21648066401132635322011-12-27T13:27:00.000-08:002011-12-30T14:25:09.439-08:00Relying on the Kindness of Strangers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9MLBN_E3oo/TvoywoqLvbI/AAAAAAAAGCQ/asmuGgtS6ZM/s1600/DSCN1363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9MLBN_E3oo/TvoywoqLvbI/AAAAAAAAGCQ/asmuGgtS6ZM/s640/DSCN1363.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> We have had some gracious hospitality on this trip from friends (Thank you again and again Greens and also Rops.). It has been really fun to see how they are living their European lives and so nice to stay at the Green home and eat at the Rops table. What we didn’t at all anticipate, however, is the unreserved help from people we don’t even know. It began soon after we crossed the border into Germany. At about the only restaurant open in Freidrichsberg on Boxing Day, the uncomfortable proprietors went and fetched their young adult son when they realized we spoke mostly English. Their son was so cute, much like ours, and gave us a charades walk through the menu so we could order something, sometimes flapping his hands to help him think of a word or making very literal translations like "The pig meat is covered with wheat". We took his suggestion for his favorite menu item and it was excellent: their house schnitzel. So sweet. Lots of warm goodbyes from his family when we left.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We are trying to travel through Europe as economically as we can and so we asked a friend who teaches at an international school in Germany if anyone on his staff would be interested in a vacation home exchange. This would involve a place in Germany for a few days in exchange for a vacation in mild Tunis. A single woman immediately responded to the request even before she knew there was an exchange offer on the table. She was happy to have five people she doesn’t know stay in her beautiful apartment in Munich while she is away on Christmas vacation. Absolutely unbelievable. I hope so much that she takes us up on our end of the offer, brings along a friend, and gives us a chance to say thanks in person and return this whole-hearted gesture. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> When our study of the train schedule and ticketing options went from 5 minutes to 10 to 15, an engaging woman wearing big white sunglasses came to our assistance. She had worked in Florida for six years and recognized our type. With her help, we successfully purchased our tickets from the vending machine and then she went ahead and walked us to the station so we could visit for a few more minutes. She gave us several gut busting laughs enroute and then she said goodbye, shaking each of our hands, and left us to our day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Finally, we have only kind things to say about the staff at the Pasing Klinikum where we took our Jordan (Steelquists, he’s our Jordan for the time being) to finally deal with the possible parasite he has been carrying around for about 12 days. Shy receptionists rushed off to get coworkers who spoke some English to help us. A bilingual doctor got accurate information and some tests to diagnose the problem and get some antibiotics started. Everyone on duty pitched in to serve the Americans and we got the treatment we needed. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> This all reminds me of the quote from the Bible about being kind to strangers. In that quote, the strangers are made out to be the angels, but in our case, it’s the other way around.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLDqaphZpjQ/Tv46ML4grsI/AAAAAAAAGHc/6qQU4MvQurQ/s1600/DSCN1388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLDqaphZpjQ/Tv46ML4grsI/AAAAAAAAGHc/6qQU4MvQurQ/s640/DSCN1388.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-21320897115490795042011-12-25T22:45:00.000-08:002011-12-27T13:28:33.082-08:00Christmas Where You Find It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-up0XTHwnz4k/Tvo4bLNK4EI/AAAAAAAAGCo/gZiFZUgHj00/s1600/DSCN1328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-up0XTHwnz4k/Tvo4bLNK4EI/AAAAAAAAGCo/gZiFZUgHj00/s640/DSCN1328.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I haven’t tried yet to completely explain myself about Christmas. I go along as the butt of jokes my sons make about how we don’t celebrate Christmas. It’s not true, entirely, but it might look that way to most people and maybe to them. The best way I can say it is that over the past few years, I’ve lost my tolerance for contriving Christmas. I didn’t say I grew to hate Christmas. Even as Thanksgiving approaches I start feeling the giddy joy of the Christmas season. I look forward to gatherings with friends and family, relishing the preparation of special foods. I get thrilled at the first sightings of Christmas trees and snow, the playing of favorite recordings of songs and movies. That’s all normal, right?</div><div class="MsoNormal"> All through the advent season I get stopped dead in my tracks at found Christmas beauty. It can be the simple interplay between a bare branch with white berries against a foggy fence post, a performance of a piece of traditional music, a gathering of friends and family that comes together so perfectly you know you just “had Christmas”. There is was. It happened right there. I have a lot of Christmas in December. It happens upon me almost daily and I’m really full, and reflective, and happy. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> The problem, and this is only from the perspective of Christmas traditionalists, is Christmas Day. This is the part about losing my tolerance. For the most part, I don’t want any of the “stuff” of Christmas Day: the big tree gift exchange, massive family gatherings where there are awkward expectations and too much of everything. None of that feels to me like an apt conclusion to a really lovely few weeks of advent. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">So I guess we have a fairly austere Christmas Day. While we know families all over the world are tearing into mountains of wrapped packages, we get up and enjoy the morning, cooking a good breakfast and eating together. My sons say that we clean the house for Christmas. We do tidy up because having the house clean and simple enough to really enjoy the ambiance of a tree, or some outdoor branches, or lit candles is what sets it up. We often have a walk, and then we cook a lovely dinner. There is one more nonnegotiable: we listen to choral music. Getting lost in the mysterious complexity of choral performances, whether modern or <i>The Messiah</i>, takes my mind in many directions as I appreciate our beautiful surroundings, the good people who envelope us, and the pleasure of working and making. Keeping Christmas a little austere feels very full to me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> So I bravely follow my intuition with this. Every year I get a little criticism. People may think I am depriving my children of Christmas traditions, but I hope I am actually modeling to them to see a lot of Christmas at many moments and to deeply appreciate what we already have, along with pondering the ongoing mysteries of Christmas Day.</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-23926727711530668882011-12-23T13:32:00.000-08:002011-12-23T13:32:58.370-08:00Better for Being in Poland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Krakow was cold, cold, cold.<span> </span>It’s so hard to remember what cold really feels like until you’re in it again and then it comes back to you.<span> </span>You have to cover every patch of exposed skin.<span> </span>You must stay completely dry. <span> </span>Much as I encouraged my sons to consider proper winter footwear before meeting us here, one of them showed up with simple canvas shoes.<span> </span>Just a few hours of walking on the cobblestone streets in slushy snow and he was suffering.<span> </span>We rescued him with some emergency boots and wool socks, but we all began to appreciate the harsh conditions of a Polish winter.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We entered the Birkenau concentration camp this morning in a thick fog and couldn’t see where we were until the arched brick wall with the train track leading in was right in front of us.<span> </span>We were the only ones there at 8:00 AM and made the first tracks in the snow, tromping from barrack to barrack.<span> </span>Still the fog was so heavy we could only see a step at a time and<span> </span>we heard dogs barking and gunshots in the distance as if a soundtrack was being played to unnecessarily add to the atmosphere.<span> </span><span> </span>Following those long train tracks to their terminus, we stood at the well-documented spot where they were unloaded and the fates of millions of lives were decided with a hand motion.<span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERQ7V-fmpz8/TvTrC5BRItI/AAAAAAAAGBE/-tLYZtq-V4M/s1600/DSCN1302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERQ7V-fmpz8/TvTrC5BRItI/AAAAAAAAGBE/-tLYZtq-V4M/s640/DSCN1302.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7HWH4axxkI4/TvTrLjL-ZeI/AAAAAAAAGBQ/jMukA4BNlXs/s1600/DSCN1290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7HWH4axxkI4/TvTrLjL-ZeI/AAAAAAAAGBQ/jMukA4BNlXs/s640/DSCN1290.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6jMKUeE334/TvTrU-COyoI/AAAAAAAAGBc/fsNpgQPsdDs/s1600/DSCN1295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6jMKUeE334/TvTrU-COyoI/AAAAAAAAGBc/fsNpgQPsdDs/s640/DSCN1295.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I never knew if I was capable of visiting Auschwitz.<span> </span>At least 20 years ago, I stopped watching Holocaust movies and reading books on the topic because I just couldn’t bear the inevitable any more.<span> </span>There would be the dear elderly character with wire-rimmed glasses who you adored, but knew terrible things were in store for.<span> </span>The middle of the story would be filled with the chaos and fear of the train loading and unloading, followed by the separation of families.<span> </span>Finally, there would be the gradual deaths of everyone you were pulling for and the hopeless feeling of loss at the end.<span> </span>I knew the plot and I just couldn't watch it reenacted one more time.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PK7GS0irX_Y/TvTred9oWRI/AAAAAAAAGBo/8ibgIcGS0Ig/s1600/DSCN1309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PK7GS0irX_Y/TvTred9oWRI/AAAAAAAAGBo/8ibgIcGS0Ig/s640/DSCN1309.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twisted mound of wire-rimmed glasses</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I walked into these infamous sites today and as I suspected,<span> </span>I did cry when I saw the case of gnarled wire-rimmed glasses and the room of baby clothes and shoes.<span> </span>I saw photos of the very real victims, Jews from Poland, but also Hungary and almost every other part of Europe.<span> </span>Additionally, <span> </span>there were also thousands of non-Jewish Poles, and Gypsies, and Russians.<span> </span>There were a lot more people than I realized who were considered undesirable and were murdered there by the thousands.<span> </span>I listened, spellbound, to our tour guide, Symon, who had also needlessly lost an uncle in that camp.<span> </span>He led us through the story of Auschwitz, helping us connect with the humans, but also working on some answers to the enormous question, why?<span> </span>He actually answered that question in a basic way right at the beginning.<span> </span>They were Jews and Hitler was obsessed with hatred for them.<span> </span>He also needed a scapegoat on whom to blame the dire economic state in Germany.<span> </span>There actually wasn’t one grand beaurocratic plan for the mass extermination of Jews except to gradually eliminate their rights in Nazi-occupied cities throughout Europe and then transport them to labor camps in several locations.<span> They were just truly work camps for the first two years, but then the extermination steam-rolled and in just over a year, over a million Jews were killed. Again, you play the why game. Why didn't Polish villagers try to do something? Answer: they had all been relocated and it was SS soldiers and their families living in the nearby villages. Why did the Jews go along? Why didn't they resist? Answer: Their choices were narrowed further and further until their only chance of survival was to cooperate and make the best possible conditions for themselves within the camps. Why didn't more of them escape? Answer: The SS were ruthless. </span><span></span>If you resisted you were punished through the torture or death of those you most loved.<span> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The SS made a game of systematic dehumanization, humiliation, and terrorization.<span> </span><span> </span>The Nazis had effectively sealed all levels of society in the region in terror.<span> </span><span> </span>It was effective and pervasive.<span> </span>These were simple people and they all had to make the best choices they could given their own circumstances and information.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">By the end of the tour, I had a much better mental structure to which I could attach my emotions. I feel now like I can take another look at some of the films<span> </span>and literature and rather than wait for the foregone ending, I can study them for what they say along the themes of power and choice.<span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-heRAtnfZL2w/TvTroVky1LI/AAAAAAAAGB0/zm5N7ReSlhM/s1600/DSCN1298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-heRAtnfZL2w/TvTroVky1LI/AAAAAAAAGB0/zm5N7ReSlhM/s640/DSCN1298.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-84434971231521128092011-12-21T12:18:00.000-08:002011-12-27T13:29:48.899-08:00Taking in Prague<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9I5oX_iLLQ/TvI8I7ViCSI/AAAAAAAAGAU/z7OPQpKspzQ/s1600/DSCN1185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9I5oX_iLLQ/TvI8I7ViCSI/AAAAAAAAGAU/z7OPQpKspzQ/s640/DSCN1185.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> I feel like I’ve come for Christmas to the place that invented it. The most elemental images of the season: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, trees in city squares, trimmed with simple bows (more tree than decoration), chapels, and sleigh bells. You, yourself, feel like you are inside of an ideal Christmas village, walking, bundled, with friends. You are spontaneously singing, laughing, and stopping, frequently, for a hot drink (did someone say gluhwein?) to warm the hands and insides. For as hard as we try to conjure that spirit in most other parts of the world, it is just happening here in Prague. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wHXgE1-lnHo/TvI8xpd4nPI/AAAAAAAAGAc/XR22amiXyBk/s1600/DSCN1156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wHXgE1-lnHo/TvI8xpd4nPI/AAAAAAAAGAc/XR22amiXyBk/s640/DSCN1156.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelic gift wrappers in the Swarovski store window. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> When people tell you you’re going to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it’s hard to know how to think of it. There are a lot of types of beautiful and some things in life that are said to be beautiful don’t feel that appealing because they’re not relatable. And this is what I would say makes Prague truly beautiful. It is almost visually perfect and yet you explore it in small, intimate vignettes. You can’t often see very far ahead and so you simply cross a bridge and enjoy being there, not trying to get on to what you see ahead. You round a corner, pass through a gate and then there is an exquisite church or castle and it’s all you see of Prague for that moment so you can pause and really take that in. Prague makes you take your time and expect surprises.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb-fxA-Xi-g/TvI6075soLI/AAAAAAAAF_4/88DE4MPsugA/s1600/DSCN1099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb-fxA-Xi-g/TvI6075soLI/AAAAAAAAF_4/88DE4MPsugA/s640/DSCN1099.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oZuZG-1hk1k/TvI7ZFfaCnI/AAAAAAAAGAE/wteuWdwhiNY/s1600/DSCN1073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oZuZG-1hk1k/TvI7ZFfaCnI/AAAAAAAAGAE/wteuWdwhiNY/s320/DSCN1073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVAGvk_rlsk/TvI7ypM8eeI/AAAAAAAAGAM/amL1TinHPl4/s1600/DSCN1059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVAGvk_rlsk/TvI7ypM8eeI/AAAAAAAAGAM/amL1TinHPl4/s640/DSCN1059.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADriMHWjx2Q/TvI9oaLtavI/AAAAAAAAGAk/lPKhX9ky6yk/s1600/DSCN1081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADriMHWjx2Q/TvI9oaLtavI/AAAAAAAAGAk/lPKhX9ky6yk/s640/DSCN1081.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S0pzUHPC-y0/TvI-HRsp68I/AAAAAAAAGAs/Sf427QNgAmc/s1600/DSCN1051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S0pzUHPC-y0/TvI-HRsp68I/AAAAAAAAGAs/Sf427QNgAmc/s640/DSCN1051.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--polDACihUo/Tvo4tYLCPUI/AAAAAAAAGC0/Vd7X_3B8VDE/s1600/DSCN1048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--polDACihUo/Tvo4tYLCPUI/AAAAAAAAGC0/Vd7X_3B8VDE/s640/DSCN1048.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> After a day of wandering and amazing, thawing and rechilling, it is so, so nice to come home to our friends’ apartment, where the Wi-Fi and the water pressure are strong. The washing machine is efficient. We drop off in cozy beds, surrounded by the artifacts of their family, thinking of them and imagining how it feels to be them, living in Prague. And we wish they were here.</div> </div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-70412744303976272122011-12-16T23:07:00.000-08:002011-12-16T23:07:46.952-08:00Tamales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Oh, how quickly a week goes by. The boys have been here nearly that long and we’ve done all we could. There was a caroling party with mulled wine by the outdoor fireplace, chill-out time to watch old favorite movies or play at the beach, and a big-bang, Mexican feast birthday dinner. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">For festive occasions, I often plan to make homemade tamales. It is probably partly because I know I can put on a huge pot of pinto beans, braise some falling-off -the bone meats, and simply add a really tasty cooked salsa and a salad and I’ve got the meal. Then, it’s the little tamale packages that make it special and just a couple per person adds enough of the corny side dish to bring the whole plate of flavors together. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">When you make tamales, you have to enlist an assembly-line of recruits. This is double fun, however, because as you facilitate and begin to steam them off, you get to enjoy all of the hilarious conversation amongst the filler, wrapper, tiers. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EvwYBOJccAM/Tuw5p-uiGOI/AAAAAAAAF_I/9eL0HsOIsl8/s1600/DSCN0854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EvwYBOJccAM/Tuw5p-uiGOI/AAAAAAAAF_I/9eL0HsOIsl8/s640/DSCN0854.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Many, many years ago, I bought a cookbook called <i>The Kingston Hotel Cafe Cookbook</i>. The subtitle of the book <i>free-spirited recipes to warm the soul</i> is accurate to the type of recipes within: inventive takes on comfort foods. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">From Judith Weinstock I learned two things about making tamales. First, for the liquid, use a puree of milk and whole kernel corn to give the tamales some fresh kernel liveliness. And second, use butter instead of lard. Lard alone might be the reason many people don’t attempt tamales. Just use butter instead of lard. Consequently, this also makes the tamales appealing to vegetarians.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I don’t have my <i>Kingston Hotel Café Cookbook</i> at hand, but I’ve adapted a standard tamale recipe and have had great results. Making the dough is the main deal. From there, you can fill them with the smallest amounts of whatever you have that is delicious: cheese (my favorite is actually goat’s cheese), cooked meat, or roasted vegetables. You can make up your own fiery salsa (I prefer a cooked one) or even buy an artisan-quality premade jar. The main point is to get your storytellers around your kitchen counter where tamales will fly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Ingredients</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 bag of dried corn husks</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">4 cups masa harina</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 tablespoon baking powder</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 teaspoons salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">4 cups milk</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 cups whole corn (canned and drained, frozen, or fresh from the cob)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup butter, softened</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Directions</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Go through the dried cornhusks, separate them and discard the silk, be careful since the husks are fragile when dry. Soak them in a sink filled with warm water for 30 minutes to soften. </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">In the bowl of a mixer, combine the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter and incorporate well.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">In a blender, puree the milk and whole corn kernels. Add to the masa and beat until the dough has a spongy texture.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Rinse, drain , and dry the corn husks. Set them out on a sheet pan covered by a damp towel along with the bowl of masa dough and your filling. Start with the largest husks because they are easier to roll. Lay the husk flat on the countertop with the smooth side up and the narrow end facing you. Spread a thin, even layer of masa over the surface of the husk with a tablespoon dipped in water. Do not use too much! Add about a tablespoon of the filling in the center of the masa. Fold the narrow end up to the center then fold both sides together to enclose the filling. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">The sticky masa will form a seal. </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Alternatively, you can roll it like a cigar and tie the ends with string</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bbIHfS8CWug/Tuw57gpy9yI/AAAAAAAAF_Q/JMqIIB4SqBY/s1600/DSCN0871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bbIHfS8CWug/Tuw57gpy9yI/AAAAAAAAF_Q/JMqIIB4SqBY/s320/DSCN0871.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Stand the tamales up in a large steamer or colander </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">with the pinched end up. Load the steamer into a large pot filled with 2-inches of water. The water should not touch the tamales. Lay a damp cloth over the tamales and cover with lid. Keep the water at a low boil</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">, checking periodically to make sure the water doesn't boil away. Steam the tamales for 20 minutes to an hour, depending on size. The tamales are done when the inside pulls away from the husk. The tamale </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">should be soft, firm, and not mushy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">To serve, unfold the husk and spoon about a tablespoon of salsa on top.</span><br />
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This concludes the home cooking segment of my blog for the year. I now switch into travelogue mode where you can expect to read about Christmas markets and opera houses in Germany, castles in Prague, and my quest for the best darn pierogi in Poland. Lots of fun to come.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-23545224938570463772011-12-11T05:56:00.000-08:002011-12-11T05:56:50.378-08:00Triple-Ginger Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oXZwj2hkMmM/TuS1Omwa6FI/AAAAAAAAF-c/PHn3-Qem3FY/s1600/DSCN0804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oXZwj2hkMmM/TuS1Omwa6FI/AAAAAAAAF-c/PHn3-Qem3FY/s640/DSCN0804.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star anise is a nice change from the cloves, ginger, and cinnamon of the season. Plus, it's so pretty.</td></tr>
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The blog <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/triple-ginger-cookies-recipe.html">101 Cookbooks</a> is beautiful and I love to see what’s going on there, but it’s like stepping into a very private world. The author strives for a level of purity, both with ingredients and in technique, that makes regular recipes seem a little silly and undisciplined. It’s esoteric which precisely means it is intended for a small audience (though her readership is huge). It might not be for everyone, but it is a nice Zen place to go to now and then. Like at the finale of a cookie bake-a-thon. These cookies require some chopping, grinding, and grating, but they are nice ingredients to hang out with and the final cookie is a delight. You will find the recipe on her blog.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MeA8E5_rsRI/TuS1pmn7MkI/AAAAAAAAF-k/LgiCCQYREY4/s1600/DSCN0807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MeA8E5_rsRI/TuS1pmn7MkI/AAAAAAAAF-k/LgiCCQYREY4/s320/DSCN0807.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KDHUyV2o_a4/TuS115mKHAI/AAAAAAAAF-s/9Xm4GZwcZC4/s1600/DSCN0811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KDHUyV2o_a4/TuS115mKHAI/AAAAAAAAF-s/9Xm4GZwcZC4/s320/DSCN0811.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And now, I have to run to the airport. Seriously. Through sheer force of bakery, I willed my sons home. Let the fun begin!</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-84039274117760517412011-12-11T05:45:00.000-08:002011-12-16T21:18:17.793-08:00Dried Fruit Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span>I already know before I make this that it will be the last one left on the cookie tray. It sounds suspiciously like fruitcake and implies more character development than celebration. Why persist? Well, I like dried fruit when it’s real (not that candied cherry stuff) and we have a great selection of dried fruit in Tunis year-around. But it was the markets in Nice (France) that really inspired me. There, I saw authentically dried and candied fruit of every variety and stall after stall had them arrayed in their jewel-like glory. It made me really want to work with them in some way. So can we please consider these cookies to be French and “oh so Provence” and not just another attempt by me to slip 70s hippie food into unsuspecting lives?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W7Z-tpnynMU/Tuwl_usP1MI/AAAAAAAAF_A/jctc13VFY8I/s1600/DSCN0788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W7Z-tpnynMU/Tuwl_usP1MI/AAAAAAAAF_A/jctc13VFY8I/s640/DSCN0788.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I also really liked that this is a log cookie that you cut and bake. This way, you can bake them up hot and fresh for the moment and who can resist warm cookies?</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Joking aside, these cookies have none of the disjointed texture and flavors, not to mention the unfoods, of annoying fruitcakes. These cookies are buttery and the fruits each have delicious flavors which are enhanced by the dough. These might actually get snatched off the tray first thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LJR3xRAcJzQ/TuSxNvn1DMI/AAAAAAAAF-I/oPLVC-Mizd8/s1600/DSCN0802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LJR3xRAcJzQ/TuSxNvn1DMI/AAAAAAAAF-I/oPLVC-Mizd8/s640/DSCN0802.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Dried Fruit Cookies, </span>adapted from<span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span>Ina Garten</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ingredients</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 pound dried pears</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/4 pound raisins</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">2 ounces dried Montmorency cherries, coarsely chopped</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">2 ounces dried apricots, coarsely chopped</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 tablespoon honey</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">2 tablespoons dry sherry</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">6 ounces chopped pecans</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Kosher salt</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 teaspoon ground cloves</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 cup superfine sugar</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 extra-large egg</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour </span></div><ul type="disc"></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Directions</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Snip off the hard stems of the figs with scissors or a small knife and coarsely chop the figs. In a medium bowl, combine the figs, raisins, cherries, apricots, honey, sherry, lemon juice, pecans, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cloves, superfine sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt just until combined. Don't overmix! Add the fruits and nuts, including any liquid in the bowl. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Divide the dough in half and place each half on the long edge of a 12 by 18-inch piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll each half into a log, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-inch thick, making an 18-inch-long roll. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or until firm.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">With a small, sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices 1/2-inch apart on ungreased sheet pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pSHyGFPTei0/TuSxgF7mVrI/AAAAAAAAF-Q/h06NXqUL7jY/s1600/DSCN0812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pSHyGFPTei0/TuSxgF7mVrI/AAAAAAAAF-Q/h06NXqUL7jY/s640/DSCN0812.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Brown paper packages tied up with string. A favorite thing, indeed.</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-87594839386216116352011-12-10T12:22:00.000-08:002011-12-10T12:22:45.742-08:00Sesame Seed Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Do you like tahini? Many years ago now (well, I was still in the morning sickness stage with my Gabe, who is 22), we had breakfast with some of our best friends, the Bryants, at a little hippie café in Seattle. I ordered Tahitian Toast with a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. I think I expected it was going to involve pineapple in some form, but it was two thick, moist slices of French toast with a slathering of tahini in the middle, like a French toast sandwich. With maple syrup drizzled over the top and the tart citrus juice on the side, I fell in love with the bitter nuttiness of tahini and sesame seeds, in general. I always have French toast with tahini now and freshly squeezed citrus when I can get it, which these days is pretty often. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Sesame seeds are next in the ingredient line-up (see <a href="http://bergamotorange.blogspot.com/2011/12/cookies-till-they-come.html">Cookies Till They Come</a>) and I didn’t want to hide them. I wanted them to be toasted and slightly bitter in a crispy cookie. This recipe is by Martha Stewart.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhNRCVZQtF4/TuO9LGPo4nI/AAAAAAAAF9k/jc0P88jLGM4/s1600/DSCN0779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhNRCVZQtF4/TuO9LGPo4nI/AAAAAAAAF9k/jc0P88jLGM4/s640/DSCN0779.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzAK2I0rMDI/TuO9XF1kXxI/AAAAAAAAF9s/6P_SzZl83Bk/s1600/DSCN0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzAK2I0rMDI/TuO9XF1kXxI/AAAAAAAAF9s/6P_SzZl83Bk/s320/DSCN0786.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sesame Seed Cookies</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Martha Stewart Living, October 2000</span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 7.5pt;">http://www.marthastewart.com/353559/sesame-seed-cookies</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Yield</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> 48</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 cup all-purpose flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 cup packed light-brown sugar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 large egg</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1 cup hulled sesame seeds, toasted</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Directions</span></div><ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line four baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and beat until combined. Add toasted sesame seeds, and beat until incorporated.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Using a spoon, drop cookie batter, about 1 tablespoon at a time, onto prepared baking sheets, allowing at least 2 inches between cookies for spreading.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Bake until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack.</span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">These are a little chewier than crisp. They are simple, but the flavor is fantastic: buttery, toasty, bitter and the seeds crunch in little bursts in your mouth. I would always prefer these now to peanut butter cookies. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
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</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-34475293282737703612011-12-10T10:25:00.000-08:002011-12-10T10:25:19.444-08:00Chewy Chocolate, Oatmeal, Coconut Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> Cookies are cool because they are absolutely ingredient driven. Whether it’s the pure simplicity of a butter or sugar cookie or the lumpy texture of a chocolate chunk, you know what you are going to be tasting. This is unless the cookie has a silly name, like a Lu Lu or something, but I don’t think I eat any of those cookies. Well, I do eat Tam Tams from Australia when I can so that’s not true. My insight into Islamic cookies so far is that they are <a href="http://bergamotorange.blogspot.com/2011/11/nut-confections.html">exquisitely beautiful and also delicious</a> (ingredient driven, too), but have unsettling body part references like Fatimah’s Fingers. Mmm.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Go back to <a href="http://bergamotorange.blogspot.com/2011/12/cookies-till-they-come.html">Cookies Till They Come</a> to catch the storyline and understand where we are. If you’ve read along, you will recall that one of the ingredients I bought in bulk this week was coconut. For this cookie, I certainly did consider an upfront coconut feature, like macaroons, but I feared that basing all of the cookies on a nut or dried fruit might make them all seem like Middle Eastern treats, which is nice, but doesn’t necessarily say Merry Christmas. Chocolate and oatmeal are what we need to make everyone feel at home. The coconut just snuggles right along side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVEv51RzoB4/TuOhb15L6WI/AAAAAAAAF9U/zelVxS08A_c/s1600/DSCN0769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVEv51RzoB4/TuOhb15L6WI/AAAAAAAAF9U/zelVxS08A_c/s640/DSCN0769.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Chewy Chocolate, Oatmeal, Coconut Cookies </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt;">Ingredients</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup butter, softened</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 cup white sugar</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 eggs</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 tablespoons milk</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 teaspoon salt </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">3 cups rolled oats</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 cups semisweet chocolate chips</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 cup shredded coconut</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt;">Directions</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips. walnuts and coconut until evenly distributed. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven for a chewy cookie or 14 minutes for a firmer cookie.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then remove to wire rack. Cool completely and then store in tightly sealed container. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SrRDUhaRzZc/TuOhrTMe6FI/AAAAAAAAF9c/zQPnO_LOo5k/s1600/DSCN0773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SrRDUhaRzZc/TuOhrTMe6FI/AAAAAAAAF9c/zQPnO_LOo5k/s640/DSCN0773.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276224089772045689.post-24154391410667870762011-12-10T09:17:00.000-08:002011-12-11T05:30:23.689-08:00Cookies Till They Come<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">My boys are coming. My boys are coming. It’s Saturday morning and we were up late at our staff Christmas party last night, but I sprang out of bed with the call to prayer at sunrise. We have that auditory time regulator here in Tunisia. I love it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I’m Tabitha Tittlemouse today. Oh gosh, I love <i>The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse</i> and her fastidiousness over every tiny detail, every tittle. How about this line from the Wikipedia synopsis: <i>Mrs. Tittlemouse fears she "shall go distracted" as a result of the turmoil and takes refuge in the nut-cellar.</i> You know where to look for me if I need a little time out this week, though all that’s in our cellar is wine, no nuts. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">There’s so much I want to do: make up heavenly beds for jet-lagged boys to sink into, prep the basics of some midweek feasts so we can have friends over to enjoy the season and visit with the guys, and make cookies. I think that this is going to be my nervous distraction for the next 24 hours, minus sleep, while I’m picturing them at every stage of their journey. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I can’t just pick any cookie recipe and pull it off, here. I looked at Bon Appetit’s 31 days of cookies and I can get many of those ingredients here, but often there is just one missing ingredient, like corn syrup, that makes me think they won’t come out right without it. As with all things in Tunisia, it’s best to begin with what we’ve got. There is actually a treasure trove of special ingredients available at the moment. A local store had bulk-packaged quantities of the following this week: hulled pistachios, shredded (unsweetened) coconut, dried apricots and hulled, toasted sesame seeds. Added to that are some plump golden raisins and dried pears I bought in Nice and finally, some dried Montmorency cherries gifted to me by Shelly. And I have ginger. My friends and I are always so concerned that we can’t get ginger here that we buy it in large amounts every time we see it. It turns out that ginger has been available recently, both fresh and dried, like the stuff you see in the Chinese apothecary shops in China towns, and I now have all of the forms required to make a triple- ginger cookie, one of my very favorites. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Because I knew it would occupy the most oven time, I began with biscotti. Cranberry/pistachio biscotti must be ubiquitous. Recipes kept popping up all over. My one unavailable ingredient in this recipe was almond extract and I do think it would have been a fine addition.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FluuTyiWjyQ/TuSwVBkuNCI/AAAAAAAAF-A/_RzqaN7s-fA/s1600/DSCN0734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FluuTyiWjyQ/TuSwVBkuNCI/AAAAAAAAF-A/_RzqaN7s-fA/s640/DSCN0734.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I dried the cranberries in my food dehydrator on Lummi Island when I was home in October. They took an extremely long time to dry. For about 24 hours, they were just hot, plump, berries not looking like they were getting any more shriveled. So I started poking them and squeezing air out and finally some of them dried out and some didn’t so much. I tossed them in a Ziploc anyway and brought them back here, keeping them in the freezer. These are the end of them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qeSEApUOOmk/TuOO3q0zD7I/AAAAAAAAF8U/An-fZDeFZd4/s1600/DSCN0736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qeSEApUOOmk/TuOO3q0zD7I/AAAAAAAAF8U/An-fZDeFZd4/s640/DSCN0736.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Once baked, sliced, and then oven dried, the pistachios in the cookies become deliciously nutty and the little bit of tart cranberry creates a bright accent. I’m not even going to dip them in chocolate because I really like the vanilla/nut balance as it is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a8PfsqrTVMA/TuOP5N4Bq1I/AAAAAAAAF84/DYb7HlzFoWk/s1600/DSCN0740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a8PfsqrTVMA/TuOP5N4Bq1I/AAAAAAAAF84/DYb7HlzFoWk/s320/DSCN0740.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
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Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt;">Ingredients</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1/4 cup light olive oil</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">3/4 cup white sugar</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 teaspoon almond extract</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">2 eggs</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 cup dried cranberries</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">1 1/2 cups pistachio nuts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt;">Directions</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> hand.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">So that’s the first cookie and I am planning on a line up of five in the next 24 hours. I just gave the boys a wake up Skype call and they are officially underway.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I’ll keep posting as I bake (is this fun?). You can bake along with me if you’re inclined.</div></div>Bergamot Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14119311727776816586noreply@blogger.com0