cup and table

happy new year

2011-12-31T16:54:00.006-05:00

i hope yours is a great one, filled with more of the things you love most. xo g

warmest wishes

2011-12-24T17:33:00.006-05:00

wishing you a carefree countenance and much joy. xoxo g

holiday food gifts - part 2

2011-12-18T20:30:00.005-05:00

la maison du chocolat, french chocolatier extraordinaire, has a full range of exquisite chocolates and gift boxes available online in the states, europe, and japan. you can find the full range here if you reside in the u.s. and here if you live elsewhere. i bought these tiny favor boxes, each containing two chocolate truffles, by the dozens this year. they make great teacher thank you's with a card, and are handy as stocking stuffers and little treats for coworkers, and household suppliers. the presentation is always adorable and the contents incomparable, a brilliant small luxury.

food gifts - part 1

2011-12-10T17:48:00.006-05:00

what is it about luxury summer enclaves that produces such great honey? i don't know. but katama apiary honey from west tisbury in martha's vineyard is just plain amazing honey. we've been eating it on everything. which for me, is a BIG DEAL, as i haven't much of a sweet tooth. i think it was that i grew up eating grocery store honey bear brands, which were pasteurized. raw, unfiltered honey is a different breed of honey. well, now that we are nearly out of katama honey, i started to panic, no honey ever came close to this: not too too sweet, rich complex flavor yet light and deliciously warm tasting. unable to find an online source i begin looking on the supermarket shelves of balducci's market and whole foods. i needn't have worried. the hamptons honey i found at whole foods is just as good and is even local. what's more, it is like a toney beach vacation in a jar. which makes it a pretty great holiday foodie gift. you can buy it online here. plus, myriad health benefits, with vitamins, anti-biotic, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory properties, or so they say. anyway. it is really great and makes a great, inexpensive gift. bring it in a little gift basket with some tea or some scone mix, and it makes a great host/hostess gift.

honey has the sweetness equivalent of table sugar, and excellent properties for baking. i often substitute part of the sugar in recipes with honey and or palm sugar, both i think have a more complex and lighter flavor than table sugar, whether it is made from cane or beet. honey is great for baking, drizzling, and sweetening.

roast chicken pieces with sweet tomatoes and garlic

2011-12-04T10:14:00.013-05:00

this dish, which should be called extremely clever roast chicken breasts with sweet tomatoes, has quickly risen in our rotation to occupy a top spot on our menu several times per month. it is extremely clever, and is the brain child of the brilliant jamie oliver. the chicken skin gets deliciously crisp and the meat is quite tender and succulent, while an incredible broth forms below. i adapted this dish from jamie oliver's recipe for tender and crisp chicken legs with sweet tomatoes from his book, jamie's dinners. i changed the recipe to adapt it for our family's particular tastes, by adding and omitting a few ingredients and changing the cut of chicken and doubling the cannellini beans, we love so much.

this recipe really only takes 10 minutes to put together and then roasts for an hour and a half. a brilliant recipe for weekends or whenever you have guests. it never fails and is highly adaptable.

roast chicken breasts and thighs with sweet tomatoes

serves 4-6

2 chicken breast halves

4 chicken thighs

2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or ripe plum tomatoes, quartered

1 whole bulb of garlic, broken up into cloves, skin left on

olive oil

salt

pepper

optional: 1 bunch swiss chard, spines removed, leaves chopped, or 8 oz baby spinach

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. first drizzle a little olive oil, then place cannellini beans across the bottom of a snug fitting oven proof pan several inches deep. next the chopped potatoes. scatter in the chopped chard or baby spinach, if using. scatter in a quarter of the tomatoes. mix around a little to distribute evenly. place the chicken breasts on top of this. tuck in the tomatoes and garlic cloves around the chicken pieces, pushing them into the gaps between. drizzle all with olive oil, add a little more salt and pepper if you like. roast for 1 and a half hours in the open pan. at the one hour mark, take it out of the oven and baste the chicken pieces with the collected juices. turn your oven on to convection roast setting if you have it, and cook for the remaining 30 minutes. serve at once. remember to warn your dinner guests to squeeze the garlic out of the skins before eating. we love to squeeze the garlic directly onto fresh bread, heavenly. jamie recommends some alternatives i haven't tried such as omitting the potatoes, but serving with simple mashed potatoes, or shredding the chicken and tossing all with a bowl of linguini or spaghetti. enjoy.

back by popular demand: pumpkin tarts with ginger

2011-11-16T14:23:00.002-05:00

i have been thinking a lot about these this week. pumpkin tarts are my most favoritist thing about autumn and thanksgiving. give me a plate of stuffing and a pumpkin tart and i am completely happy. here's a reprint of my favorite recipe, developed over the years, while pursuing my great love for pumpkin and related squash dishes of all kinds. i love the custardy texture and the combination of pumpkin and crystallized ginger.

pie crust

for two 9 inch pie tins or 8 small tartlet tins

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour or a mix of the two

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into slices

3 TBSP ice water (add one at a time, may need or less depending on humidity/age of flour)

2 TBSP heavy cream

mix flours with salt and sugar. place in food processor. add cold butter slices. pulse until combined and looking like coarse meal. add 1 TBSP ice water and 1 TBSP cream. pulse until just mixed. add another TBSP of ice water and cream. pulse. dough should be starting to come together now. add 1 more TBSP ice water if needed.

form two discs with the dough. allow to rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes. roll out and place into pie or tart pans. if making a pumpkin pie, it will work best if you warm the dough in the pie or tart pans in a 375 F oven for 5 to 7 minutes before adding the pumpkin filling mixture, as the pumpkin mixture is very wet and can make the crust a bit soggy.

filling recipe

filling
2 15oz cans organic pumpkin
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP minced crystallized ginger*
1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, whisked
whisk the pumpkin, cream, milk, sugars, salt and spices together thoroughly. correct flavor if necessary (sweeter, ginger, etc) add in whisked eggs. pour into prepared pie crusts in pans (prebaked for 5 to 7 minutes). bake in a preheated oven set at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes for a tart and 45 to 55 minutes for a deep dish pie until done, should jiggle just a bit in the center. when you make it in a large tart pan it will be done in 30 to 35 minutes. allow pie to cool for 30 minutes before devouring (in my case, maybe you just eat pie in a restrained and civilized fashion, i do try). tiny tart pans cook much quicker in 25 to 30 minutes.

* if the crystallized ginger is very moist it may gum up as you try to mince it, sprinkle a teaspoon or two of flour on the crystallized ginger as you chop if it gives you any trouble.

** this time i made it with 2 cups milk and 1 cup cream, for a lighter version, still works well and is lighter. not quite the sinfully-rich version, but completely delicious all the same.

still here

2011-11-03T13:07:00.004-04:00

well. that qualifies as a crazy weekend. what a storm. and snow. in october! so unexpected. but importantly, now we've got our power back on. the leaves are still on the trees. all is good. onward.

pumpkin bread

2011-10-24T10:34:00.008-04:00

the leaves are starting to turn here in coastal connecticut, the weather has been gorgeous and sunny with just the right hint of chill in the air, and there really is nothing like perfect fall weather for cooking inspiration. the change in seasons always keeps it interesting. and so i bring you something easy, something healthy and sweet, something to tempt you back into the kitchen.

i could tell you that this pumpkin bread is super healthy, dairy-free, high protein pumpkin bread, but i'd rather omit all that, and just tell you that it is a crowd pleaser and has a light, delicate crumb. this pumpkin bread is great as breakfast, or afternoon tea, or as dessert with some very dairy, freshly whipped cream, my family likes it best gently toasted with a large melty slab of danish butter.

fruit and baking soda breads are an easy baking category to master, and a popular favorite: banana bread, cranberry orange bread, zucchini bread, and my current favorite, pumpkin bread. they take nearly an hour to bake but can be pulled together easily in 10-15 minutes.

pumpkin bread

preheat oven to 350 degrees f

dry ingredients

3 cups flour (in this case i used 1/2 cup teff flour,* 1 cup oat flour, 1.5 cups all purpose flour, i like a little variation in flour, you could easily use just all purpose flour)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp double acting baking powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

wet ingredients

1 can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs

1/2 cup soy milk

1 1/4 cups brown sugar or palm sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

topping

1 tsp oats

1 tsp pumpkin seeds

oil a loaf pan. set aside. in a medium bowl whisk dry ingredients. in a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and olive oil. add dry mixture, stir briefly to just combine. place batter in prepared pan, sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds and oats, bake 50- 55 minutes at 350, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. allow to cool for about 15 minutes. invert pan to transfer loaf to a cooling rack and then serving dish. slice and serve.

optional mix ins: 1/2 cup medjool dates, chopped, 1/2 cup chopped pecans or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

*teff flour is a high protein, high iron flour made from a tiny grain from ethiopia. it is exceptionally nutritious and high in fiber relative to other grains. it has an interesting nutty flavor and a very light texture and you can substitute up to 1/4 cup of teff flour per cup of all purpose flour in most baked goods for added nutrition.

ornamental kale

2011-10-14T12:22:00.010-04:00

i planted some ornamental kale by the front door last weekend. love them. a plant that can withstand winter and flourish in freezing weather. frilly, stalwart, steadfast, and strangely beautiful. they seem to lend a sort of 16th century flair to the entryway. in any case happy friday and have a brilliant weekend. xo, g,

fresh local apples from the farmers market

2011-09-21T15:56:00.005-04:00

i am overrun with gorgeous local apples. must be a bumper crop as they are cheap and plentiful this year at the farmer's market. what should i make? maybe apple yogurt cake? or pancakes with sauteed apples and cider syrup? trusty oaty apple crisp? rustic apple tart? decisions, decisions.

a stroll in paris

2011-09-14T09:50:00.025-04:00

next up, paris

2011-09-07T10:50:00.005-04:00

i have been away a little longer than i intended. but then, you know how it is. and the way little things add up, or big things, singly, swallow us up, from time to time.

here's what i've been doing: so we went to the beach, the family and i. that was great. martha's vineyard. more great. weather was beautiful. we beached, boogie boarded, ate lobster and admired the amazing vineyard light. did it all over again the next day and every day for nearly a week. as we were waiting in line for the car ferry home, we had an earthquake, which, some of us being californians, noticed right away and thought "wow, they are following us, these earth tremblors." then, we pretty much went straight to tornado watches and hurricanes when we got back.

coastal connecticut was hit pretty hard, the largest power outage in connecticut light and power's history of power outages (which is a LOT let me tell you). we baked cookies and oat bars, and ate all our frozen foods in preparation, as we generally lose power for a few days in any big storm. we brought in all our outdoor furniture, nailed our roof to the house frame, things like that. we were lucky and had no serious damage. a few trees fell, but not on us or the house! school was delayed a week and the town was flooded. grocery stores lost power and had to throw out all their refrigerator sections, things like that. a lot of inconvenience but not nearly the proportion of trauma faced in other places.

eventually things returned to normal. school and preseason sports finally started and here i am on september 7, the first day with both kids in school. it has been a compressed few weeks. i am kind of surprised to wake up and find myself here on september 7, 2011, it all happened that fast. anyway, i'm back!

i have many many pictures in storage, travels and recipes, waiting, to show you. next up paris. paris was great. nothing like paris. we will have a stroll next time. happy september! xo, g

more than a passing interest

2011-08-16T20:50:00.004-04:00

i've been doing a lot of reading this summer. mostly cookbooks. mostly swedish and scandinavian cookbooks. i am absolutely gobsmacked by the inventiveness of this cuisine.

i really love reading and traveling and eating. learning how other people see the world, and make do, and thrive, in different locations, with different raw materials.

very inspiring.

we have had a crazy busy summer. and now the weather is clearing up after days and days of rain. i'm going to put in some serious beach time before summer fades away, top priority. see you soon. xo, g

a few more photos of stockholm

2011-08-09T13:52:00.009-04:00

if you have a few kronor

2011-08-03T16:46:00.006-04:00

a visit to Östermalms Saluhall

2011-07-27T10:38:00.013-04:00

you will find something for everyone here, in this gorgeous food market in central stockholm. the main story is the fish of course. sweden is very well known for fresh, amazing fish. also for their smoked fish, gravlax (cured salmon), and delicious fish eggs or caviar. because stockholm is an archipelago, with abundant access to waterways, you will see chefs and other swedes fishing around town as you make your way to the different islets of the city.

another important feature of swedish cuisine is the potatoes. potatoes are a big deal in sweden, eaten with nearly every meal. even that delicious caviar spread is made with potatoes. in the summer it is a special treat to have freshly dug up small new potatoes. it is common for swedish families to grow some of their own potatoes, in their own yard, or in a pot, or in a community garden plot. a meal just isn't a meal without potatoes for swedes.

oh yes, and fresh produce. the short growing season up north makes for spectacular fresh vegetables and fruits, particularly the berries, lingonberries and cloud berries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries. and the wonderful jams and preserves they make with all those berries. wonderful imported delights are here as well, french artisanal chocolates, giant turkish dried figs, such a special, completely magical place.

let's talk about swedish food (breakfast edition)

2011-07-19T12:47:00.012-04:00

i could say it's delicious and end it right there, just show photos of sweden's incredible smörgåsbord of food offerings. we would all be quite satisfied i am sure. but really, i must go on and on about it, and it starts with swedish bread, incredible bread, the best bread i've ever tasted, so let's talk breakfast, where this bread plays a starring role.

oh my, i could write sonnets about its thick slices, soft spongy center, sturdy, rustic, floury crust, total perfection. so perfect, i will now devote myself entirely to finding how to procure or make this bread every day. really, it's that good (and i'm not even a bread person, most days i am rhapsodizing about vegetables in season). swedish bread, always ready to be slathered with some of that delightful swedish caviar spread, (available outside sweden at ikea) served with a sliced 4- or 8- minute egg, your choice of course. or, there is incredible swedish butter, (fluffy, lightly salted, similar to danish butter-the best) and amazing preserves of every variety: cloudberry, lingonberry, etc. oh and have you seen swedish butter knives? they are hand carved from wood, beautiful, and all the better to lavishly spread upon your bread. brilliant.

or perhaps you are after the swedish classic breakfast, and you drape your bread, very indulgently, with fresh cured salmon (gravlax). oh such delicious possibilities for breakfast Sweden! i want to eat swedish every day now. such a deceptively simple cuisine. as with all simple things, the quality of the ingredients must be perfect. of course, i love it completely. after wanting to visit sweden for 20 years, it was totally worth the wait. it was proust who noted that absence was the most loyal, most faithful, most ubiquitous of all the presences, and he was so right. sweden, where have you been all my life?

next, a visit to Östermalms saluhall,central food market in stockholm.

a stroll around skeppsholmen

2011-07-13T10:35:00.012-04:00

i left for paris on a saturday, arrived on a sunday, sunday afternoon and evening i met friends for a drink and picked up my daughter, we ran around paris 6eme monday morning and flew to stockholm monday afternoon, arriving in time for a memorable dinner monday evening. it was a busy few days. but oh how we were rewarded. paris was charming as always and stockholm was pure lovely. indeed i would like to go back right now. lots more pictures on the way, xo g

garden at dusk

2011-07-01T13:25:00.003-04:00

i've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately. the weather has been most agreeable. i am headed out of town for a quick trip to paris and stockholm with my daughter, will have loads of pictures to share when we return. until then, xo g

ume, umemboshi, aoume and umeshu, a love stoy

2011-06-10T16:08:00.021-04:00

i have an abiding love for all things ume. like umeboshi: japanese pickled apricot plums, made with the ripened ume fruit. my sincere love for these ripe, pickled, dried, plummy apricots borders on addiction. on each visit to japan, i treasure my trip to the mitsukoshi food courts in ginza and/or ebisu. where i wander around bouncing from counter to counter, deliriously sampling a delicious variety of food treasures. i always always wind up at the umeboshi counter where i enjoy tiny samples of different pickled umeboshi, each with a different percentage of salt, some so sour your face forms a hardened pucker that may never soften; some so sweet they taste like candy. umeboshi keep quite well for many months in the refrigerator, thanks to their high salt content. the flavor of these little squishy jewels is quite pungent, so much so, as to make a small bowl of plain rice a wild and savory ride on a flavor roller coaster. incredible, i tell you, and truly ridiculously delicious.

i also love everything made with these mysterious ume fruits, often called plums, but actually sort of an apricot. right now i am making homemade japanese plum wine. a sweet and fragrant concoction i hope will deliver us through next winter, especially if it is anything like this winter, with it's completely ridiculous amount of snow. only meticulous planning and true love can get you through a winter like that.

umeshu, or japanese sweet plum wine, is made with the unripe version of ume, known as aoume. the process takes a while. slowing things down quite a lot, i present to you the longest recipe ever to appear on cup and table:

umeshu sweet plum wine

1 1/4 pounds aoume, fresh, unripe japanese apricot plums,

available in june, washed, stem bits completely removed

3/4 lb organic granulated sugar

good quality vodka 750 ml

1 Liter jar, sterilized

6 months time

wash the aoume. carefully removing any bitter, woody stem pieces. place in jar. pour sugar over the fruit. pour vodka over the sugar and fruit. give a good stir. come back tomorrow and stir again. do this each day for a week. then, summoning all your patience, place jar in a cool, dark spot in your kitchen or pantry. come back in 6 months, on the darkest day of winter. open, pour, sip. sweet memories of spring come rushing back, as if, from a dream. i like the idea of these aoume steeping and marinating, becoming more delicious each passing hour, and turning into unctuous umeshu.

note: aoume are completely inedible in this unripened state, and only become edible when preserved over several months. you could begin to drink your sweet plum wine after as few as 3 months, but it is best after 6 months.

if you'd like to wander through the food court of mitsukoshi ginza yourself, check out this youtube video clip of just that. though i give you fair warning, you might get curiously hungry and start googling airfare to japan.

lemon vinaigrette

2011-06-02T12:50:00.003-04:00

so simple so light so versatile. so fresh and mild. i love this dressing on green salad, potato salad, as a dressing for a greek salad with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, avocado and feta cheese, and also as pictured here, with just some crunchy romaine lettuce and a few black olives.

lemon vinaigrette dressing

juice of 1 or two lemons

1 small garlic clove, peeled, chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 cup parsley leaves

1/3 cup white wine or champagne vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

blend ingredients in a blender. chill until ready to use. give a stir, then drizzle on fresh greens.

nearly perfect chicken marbella

2011-05-26T11:33:00.025-04:00

well, as the story goes, i was in a classic pickle. no idea what to make for dinner and no food in the pantry as i was dropping my son off at the ball field tuesday night at 5:15. so i asked him, what did he want for dinner. "victory," was his reply. "sounds good," i smiled. "what else?" i asked, as he reached into the back seat for his large sports bag filled with bats and gloves. the door slammed in reply, as he strode happily and with determination toward the dugout, casually waving to his arriving teammates. oh the simplicity and focus of 12 year olds. how i yearn for such clarity in my own life.

as per usual, i was on my own on this one. i drove to the store. it was getting late. the game started in 20 minutes. out of the mists of history, my own history and our collective history, sprang a sudden taste for chicken marbella. that marvelous dish invented in the 80s in nyc, by those amazing silver palate women. i have always loved it, the sweet, tart, savory, earthy unctuousness of this dish transcends. come to think of it, i have never seen it served without oohs of delight from guests. a friend of mine, a marvelous cook, often makes it, a popular favorite that it is. familiar, lovely, goes great with wine, and basically fool-proof.

now the recipe calls for marinating overnight. i needed dinner ready at 7:30 when the game was over, and i needed the dinner to practically cook itself in my absence. sounds impossible but no. not for marvelous, nearly perfect chicken marbella. marinating, and many other forms of elaborate preparation, it so often turns out, are overrated. impetuously, i picked up a package of organic skinless boneless breasts and another of skinless boneless thighs, a container of green olives, a jar of french prunes, a small jar of italian capers. boldly reinventing as i went. no lines. one bag of groceries. not too expensive. everything was going my way.

as i confidently breezed in the kitchen door, i started the rice. i placed the chicken in a large bowl. turned on the oven. set about flavoring the chicken with an odd array of this and that. pulled out my favorite bright green ceramic roasting dish. placed said chicken in pan. placed in oven. called out to teenage daughter studying for finals in the dining room. "if you smell anything burning, please turn this down." i left for the game.

turns out my son (known far more for his hitting and fielding than his pitching), was pitching a near perfect game. an 11-0 shut out. in one inning, he twirled only 3 pitches. the first two batters grounded out to him. the third batter to the third baseman. i have never seen a three-pitch inning before. the catcher did not even touch the ball once in that inning. i snapped lots of pictures. my husband and i were giddy. he went on to pitch as the local paper called it, "a complete game masterpiece." he faced only one batter more than the minimum. wow. what a night. as incredible as it was unexpected.

i kept my head and texted my daughter to pull the chicken out of the oven after 30 minutes. it was cooling on the stove as we returned home in victory. happily, chicken marbella is good, hot, warm, or room temperature. it really was spectacularly delicious. as we ate, my lovely daughter read us a wonderful short story she wrote, just returned with an A+. so we dined in the glow of their recent successes. my kids said it was an a+ no-hitter of a dinner. as it turned out, victory tasted a lot like chicken marbella. completely memorable, savory, and delicious.

chicken marbella

superfast homemade adaptation

1lb organic boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 lb organic boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 cup french prunes

1/4 cup capers and juice

1/2 cup green olives (i used an italian brand pitted and filled with tiny bits of lemon)

8 to 10 cloves of garlic, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt

pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar sprinkled on top of chicken in the baking dish

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. i use a setting called "convection roast." mix chicken with the other ingredients and marinate while the oven is heating. when oven is fully heated, place the chicken mixture in a baking dish which holds them comfortably. sprinkle chicken pieces with sugar so they brown nicely. place in oven. return in 30 minutes. remove from oven. enjoy the amazing aroma. allow to cool for 10 minutes plus. enjoy with rice, cous cous or bread. a green salad would have been nice, next time.

lovingly adapted from silver palate cookbook. the traditional version uses herbs and white wine and red wine vinegar as well as chicken with bones and skin. the dish didn't suffer at all in this superfast adaptation, i swear. i think it's because without skin the chicken calls for less marinating, or none, in my case. they also use different quantities and proportions of most ingredients. chicken marbella is nothing if not adaptable.

super fast homemade: shrimp tacos

2011-05-18T09:50:00.005-04:00

i love shrimp. i love tacos. so shrimp tacos are a natural. in baja, you will find tacos like this all over the place. delicious. super easy. super fast. they make a perfect weeknight meal, are endlessly versatile, and would also work great for easy entertaining..... some kind of perfect combination. oh and great leftovers which taste just as good the next day. simply heat fresh tortillas and voila.

the ingredient list is not too challenging

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp, sustainably harvested

1 TBSP minced cilantro stems

2TBSP olive oil

2 tsp good quality sea salt

juice of 3 limes

1/2 head red cabbage, finely sliced

1 cup of organic sour cream

1 avocado

2 ears of corn

1 TBSP chopped cilantro leaves

8 to 10 tortillas, flour or corn, your choice

a few cilantro leaves, destemmed

1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco, (optional)

2 cloves of garlic, sliced (optional)

1 jalapeno pepper, core removed, minced (optional)

you can have these on the table in 30 minutes if you are working alone. 15 minutes if you have helpers available.

step 1 marinate the shrimp in a non reactive bowl. (make sure the shrimp tails are also removed). sprinkle cilantro stems, 1 teaspoon salt, sliced garlic, juice of 1 lime, (and jalapeno if using), over the shrimp. give a good stir and set about prepping the rest of your ingredients. slice the cabbage nice and fine and place in a serving bowl. slice the kernels off the cobs of corn, place in a microwave safe container (glass) and microwave for about 1 minute. when cool, pour the juice of 1 lime, and the chopped cilantro leaves over the corn. give a good stir. slice your avocado. mix your sour cream with the juice of the third lime and 1 teaspoon of salt. heat your tortillas. now get a saute pan nice and hot. really smoking hot. aadd 2 TBSP olive oil to the shrimp. stir again. slide shrimp in sauce into hot hot saute pan. saute on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. make sure both sides of each shrimp get the heat by stirring or flipping. all done. bring to the table. everyone assembles their own. brilliant. delicious. not entirely expected weeknight fare in new england. so there is the element of surprise as well. delightful! happy midweek to all.

super fast homemade: broiled sole with spring onions

2011-05-13T16:55:00.006-04:00

as i was saying, we have been crazy busy. we had a french student staying with us for a month, which was loads of fun and filled with sightseeing jaunts here and there. then spring everything hit our schedules at once. trial by fire, i have learned to cook fast. really fast. dinner in 15 minutes? can do.

strategies for cooking really fast: build up a repertoire of 5 or 6 dishes you can make super fast. once you know them, grocery shopping will be easy. simplify the meal, down to it's essence. make the most of each ingredient, but keep that list small.

another idea, one which i am completely dependent on: a rice cooker, seriously i sometimes travel with mine, i bought it 16 years ago for $125 dollars and it still works great. i am not at all into gadgets in the kitchen but this one thing is awesome.

another is get to know your broiler, hight heat broiling is great for fish, chicken and pork. cooks really fast and is hands free, in that you can chop or toss or stir something else while it is going on. you do have to keep your eye on it because burning can also happen fast. keeps you on your toes. the point is, you really don't have to buy prepared convenience foods or takeout when you are short on time. you can do this.

for the next few weeks, until school is out, summer begins and life takes on a slightly more leisurely pace, i am going to focus on fast meals, from necessity but also for a creative challenge. i want to eat well, and i love to cook, but i also love to do lots of other wonderful things and don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. ready set go.

broiled sole with spring onions

serves 4

1 lb sole, about 6 to 8 small fillets

1 teaspoon minced cilantro stems

1 TBSP fish sauce

2 teaspoons palm or brown sugar

1 package spring onions, ramps (baby leeks), or scallions, cleaned and trimmed

preheat broiler to high and move top rack to highest position. mix together the fish sauce, cilantro stems, brown sugar. cover a large baking sheet with parchment or foil. place the filets on the parchment, intersperse the onions. with a large spoon, drizzle your sauce onto the fillets, up the center line.

when broiler is preheated, super hot. pop in the tray. broil for about 4 minutes, right up close to the heat source. until fish is cooked through and onions are nicely charred. serve immediately with a tossed salad and maybe some rice, precooked in your rice cooker, or bread.

that was fast for a homemade meal wasn't it? enjoy. and happy weekend everyone.

greening

2011-05-09T12:49:00.008-04:00

late greening this year, but visually spectacular none-the-less.

it's such a busy time of year with spring sports, concerts, assemblies, games, and tournaments, out here in suburbia. from necessity, i have been cooking the fastest, homemade, whole food, organic meals i know how to cook. and i must say i really have developed a knack for the 15 minute family meal. with some fast chopping, fish, pasta, and stir fry work well for the extreme short order cooking. this really reduces a meal to its essence, with a kind of simplicity i find refreshing. i'll post a few of these recipes this week. in the meantime, enjoy the gorgeous weather.

bees are back

2011-04-20T16:29:00.003-04:00

it seemed like spring would never arrive, but the blooms and bees are back. and that, my friends, can only mean one thing: a fantastic produce explosion coming soon to farmer's markets and grocery stores. so very much to look forward to.

stripes

2011-04-08T16:58:00.008-04:00

as you can see i've gone all stripey in the studio lately. it's been an awful lot of fun. playing with shapes and sizes. enjoying the simplicity. happy happy weekend everyone! xo, g

risotto cakes

2011-04-06T15:59:00.005-04:00

delicious risotto cakes. so creamy inside, so delightfully, so delicately, crispy on the outside.

these take about 12 minutes to prepare, provided you have leftover risotto chilling in your fridge, which i frequently do. served with a nice side salad, there is no more perfect spring lunch.

risotto cakes

leftover risotto (zucchini leek risotto is pictured but any risotto will do nicely)

1/4 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour

1/4 cup olive oil

completely optional: tiny mozzarella balls or cubes

form or otherwise scoop your leftover risotto into little patties 2 or 3 inches across. if you are feeling extra indulgent push a small ball of mozzarella or other italian melty cheese into each patty, and then close up the patty. dredge each patty in a small dish of flour. allow to rest a minute to absorb the flour while you heat your cast iron or other non-stick pan to medium to medium high heat. once pan is hot, add in 1/4 cup olive oil. shake off any excess flour as you place patties in the hot pan and let them sizzle for about 8 to 10 minutes. flipping once halfway through. drain on a paper towel. serve immediately.

happy birthday to me

2011-03-31T09:10:00.004-04:00

my birthday is this week. my cake is from le pain quotidien, three layers: moist white cake, a generous layer of chocolate mousse, and a dusting of cocoa powder. it is always delicious. and best of all it is my favorite, especially because i did not cook it! the very delectable taste of pure self indulgence, shared with family and friends!

tofu and mushroom miso hot pot

2011-03-22T15:17:00.005-04:00

4 inches of snow expected in a day or two, time for more japanese hot pot. this time, with tofu and mushrooms and a bit of sweet potato. yum. making this again tonite. real comfort food, with vegetables and a delicious, rich and satisfying broth.

tofu mushroom miso hot pot

broth

4 cups dashi

1/2 cup white miso pate

1/4 cup mirin

first layer

1 large onion, sliced

1/2 cup green or savoy cabbage, chopped intot bite size pieces

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced, and chopped into quarters

2nd layer

1 pound firm tofu cut into 8 pieces

2 oz harusame or bean thread noodles, soaked in warm water until softened, about 10-20 minutes

4 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced

3rd layer

3 oz shimeji mushrooms

2 oz enoki mushrooms

1 leek, sliced

final layer

2 cups spinach leaves

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

You make this the same way as the salmon hot pot: layering.

start with mixing your broth ingredients. place the onions in the bottom of your medium large pot. next scatter the cabbage and potato and sweet potato. pour over the broth, bring to a boil and cover, simmer for 3 minutes. add the tofu, bean thread noodles and shitakes. cover, simmer for 5 minutes more. now add the third leayer, simmer for 2 minutes. now add the final layer, simmer for 1 minute more. bring pot to the table and ladle into bowls. enjoy with soup spoons and chopsticks. itadakimas.

I wish I could cook a hot pot for everyone in Japan

2011-03-18T11:44:00.008-04:00

I want to cook for all the people displaced, for all the people who have lost family and friends, for the people with no shelter. I want to give them comfort and strength and nourishment.

Since it is still quite cold in the worst hit regions, I would cook hot pot. Hot pot, or Nabe Hot Pot, is a Japanese comfort food and one-pot meal that is very soothing in cold weather. Japanese eat hotpot all winter long. It is a wonderful dish that goes back hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. Easy to put together. Incredibly delicious, rich, hearty and sustaining. Eating hot pot always warms me up and makes me feel wonderful. You may be familiar with shabu-shabu, which is a hot pot cooked at the table. There are many kinds of hotpot, shabu-shabu is only one of many.

Here are is a recipe for salmon miso hot pot, the most hearty and soothing variety to me. To everyone in Japan I want to say: take comfort, all is not lost, you have many friends all over the world, we want to help.

Warm, Soothing, Wonderful Miso Hot Pot with Salmon

broth

4 cups dashi

1/2 cup white miso

1/4 cup mirin

1st layer

1 large onion, sliced

2 small idaho potatoes, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced

1/2 head green or savoy cabbage, cut into bite size chunks

2nd

2 oz harusame, or bean thread noodles, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

1 package tofu, cut into 8 pieces

6 oz shitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

third

8 oz salmon filet, sliced, with skin on or off as to your preference

final layer

4 scallions, sliced

8 oz baby spinach leaves

Prepare the broth by combining the dashi, miso and mirin in a bowl. whisk to blend.

Start layering your pot. first place the onion slices, then potatoes and cabbage. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the pot boils, cover with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Allow pot to simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and place the tofu, softened bean thread noodles and sliced shitakes on top of the previous ingredients, this time keep the like ingredients clustered together, rather than scattering them over the pan. This will keep the dish very neat looking and beautiful when it comes time to serve. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes more. Now add in the salmon and cover. Lift the lid frequently and poke the salmon into the liquid, to allow for even cooking. The salmon will take about 5 minutes more of simmering. Now finish the dish by adding a clump of spinach and the scallions in the center. Allow to simmer 1 to 2 minutes more as you press the spinach into the pot.

To serve, bring the entire pot to the table and allow everyone to ladle their favorite ingredients into their bowls.

Dear Japan! The events of the last week, the triple disaster:earthquake, tsunami, nuclear damage, have left us devastated. It is hard to believe things can deteriorate so quickly, so unavoidably. And yet, you are such a strong and resilient country, you have recovered many times before, from the Kanto quake which destroyed Yokohama and half of Tokyo in 1923, to the devastation of WWII. I have great faith in the Japanese people to come back better, stronger than before. Please help Japan if you can.

shrimp asparagus spinach stir fry

2011-03-08T09:50:00.004-05:00

this is a dish i've been returning too often, now that the spring asparagus is in, with it's very thin, grassy stalks. perfect for this dish. this is based on a thai/vietnamese stir fry traditions, but i invented it myself. the prep work takes about 20 minutes but the cooking takes less than 5. so fast. great for a weeknight dinner. kind of want to eat this a couple of nights a week at this point, it is so fast and easy, yet full on flavor.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry

serves 4

marinate the shrimp for 20 minutes while you chop the other ingredients:

1lb peeled and deveined shrimp

1.5 TBSP fish sauce

1.5 TBSP grated palm sugar (could substitute brown sugar or honey or agave nectar here, but i do love palm sugar in this)

1 TSP minced cilantro stems

place shrimp in a bowl, add in the fish sauce, palm sugar and cilantro stems. stir several times to coat the shrimp in the mixture. set aside.

1 large bunch thin-stalked asparagus, cut into 2 inch lengths

1 large bunch scallions cut into 2 inch lengths

2 cups of baby spinach leaves (4-6 oz)

1 large shallot, minced

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 TBSP minced cilantro stems

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup of water

to finish the dish

1 cup of cilantro leaves

juice of 1 lime

get your wok nice and hot. sizzling hot. add in the oil and the garlic/cilantro stems/shallot and shrimp quickly. dont stir for a minute while the shrimp sizzles and sears on one side. then stir. now add in the asparagus. stir again. add in the 1/2 cup of water and cover for 1 minute. maybe 2. until the asparagus is tender/crisp and bright green. add in the spinach and scallions. stir fry for 1 minute. it should be done now. add in the lime juice and cilantro leaves and stir one more time to combine. serve at once with some fluffy jasmine rice. guaranteed deliciousness.

winter fruit bowl

2011-03-03T11:49:00.003-05:00

making lots of noodles, stir fry and soup these days. more on that soon. how are you? it's march, isn't that marvelous? only seventeen days until spring. see you soon. xo, g

green stir fry with mushrooms and chicken (or tofu)

2011-02-22T11:40:00.006-05:00

if you are trying to add more green to your diet, and most of us are, this dish is a delicious way to start. a mixture of green vegetables including broccolini (sometimes called broccolette) baby bok choy, zucchini, kale, scallions, mushrooms and chicken breast, it is fast and heartwarming, any time of year. other greens such as chard, spinach, broccoli, chives, pea shoots, snow peas, long beans, or various asian greens would be excellent here. creativity only enhances this dish. use what you like.

green stir fry with mushrooms and chicken (or tofu)

1lb boneless skinless organic chicken breast, thinly sliced across the grain

1 TBSP cornstarch or potato starch

2 tsp dry sherry

1 tsp soy sauce

4 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup stock or water

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large bunch broccolini or broccolette (cousin to broccoli, edible stalks, sweet flavor)

chopped into 1 inch pieces, stalks included

3 baby bok choy, sliced

1 zucchini, diced

small bunch of kale, stems removed, leaves stripped and chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped into 1 inch pieces

8 oz mushrooms, cremini or shitake, trimmed and sliced

1 TBSP fermented black beans (optional, available at asian grocery stores)

steamed rice to serve.

slice chicken and place in a bowl with the cornstarch and sherry and soy sauce while you prepare the veg. chop away and set up your ingredients near the wok so you can work quickly once the heat is on high.

next, heat the wok. once hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and mushrooms. stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes. remove from wok and set aside. next the greens, return the wok to high heat, add another TBSP olive oil, the green veg except for the scallions, which will go in at the very end after the chicken or tofu). saute for 1 minute, add 1/2 cup broth or water, stir for another 2 minutes. reserve with cooking juices in a bowl or plate to the side. now for the meat or tofu. return wok to high heat. add 2 TBSP olive oil to the pan, add in the garlic and stir around for a few seconds, then the chicken, allow to sear briefly, then stir and turn until opaque. add in the veg, stir briskly, add the scallions and fermented black beans if using. combine, taste for flavor, then serve immediately with steamed rice. delicious mixture of salty, crunchy, sweet, savory, and green.

tofu can easily be substituted for the chicken. no need to use sherry or cornstarch in this case. slice a 16 0z block of tofu into 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces and saute at the end with the garlic. add in the soy sauce with the scallions at the end if needed. just as delicious.

great pad thai at home

2011-02-10T17:55:00.007-05:00

not only is it possible to have great pad thai at home. it isn't very difficult. and, it tastes better than most restaurant pad thai. the ingredients may not be as familiar to you as they are for pasta or other stir fries, but once you wrap your head around this dish, it is really simple and fast. i've been making pad thai for 15 years and at first it seemed daunting, unfamiliar, now it is a piece of cake. like everything worth doing, it takes a bit of practice, but even your earliest efforts will be delicious. it is the pursuit of the ideal that keeps it interesting, you get to make it just the way you like it best.

pad thai

serves 4

first off you need to assemble the ingredients.

1 lb dried rice noodles, there are so many different varieties, i like linguine thin noodles best, make sure they are not expired, they don't last forever.

4 TBSP olive oil

1 egg for each serving

3/4 large shrimp per serving, shelled and deveined

2 shallots, minced

4 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

1/4 cup minced cilantro stems

1 lb block medium firm tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces

2/3 cups bean sprouts, washed and drained

6 scallions, cut into 2 inch lengths and then sliver lengthwise

1 TBSP finely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

seasoning sauce

1/2 cup tamarind paste, easy to find in most stores now, make sure it has only two ingredients: tamarind and water no added sugar, etc.

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar or palm sugar or honey or agave nectar

1 TBSP rice vinegar

you will develop your own mix over time that is a little sweeter, tarter, or saltier than this one, to your preference

to serve

1 cup cilantro leaves

2 limes in wedges

notes

1.you can only make two servings at one time in a wok, for additional servings, you have to wipe clean the wok and cook again, otherwise it will become unwieldy and possibly soggy. i find this kind of fun. i make two servings twice with these ingredients, so for each batch, use only half.

2. for the tamarind, sometimes in asian grocery stores it comes ready made in a jar, sometimes it is dried into a firm paste. if it is in a firm paste you must place it in some water and heat on the stove until it dissolves in the water, then let it cool and strain it. i actually prefer thai taste's jarred version here, i can only get it at an asian grocery store so i often use the other but i find i like the flavor a little better. you can also buy fresh tamarind and peel off the crisp outer shell and scrape the pulp off the seeds. then mix with water and heat over the stove until dissolved as for the dried paste.

3. step number one is make your seasoning sauce. cook the ingredients in a small pan until hot, taste to adust the tart, salty, sweet balance. i like mine on the tart side. it should have a rich complex flavor. this important flavoring sauce will go into the wok just after the noodles, it flavors them and keeps them moving in the pan rather than sticking to it.

4. soak the noodles in very hot water. different noodles soften at different rates, you have to get to know your brand of noodles. some are done soaking in 5 minutes, some need 20. usually around 10. after soaking they will not be soft enough to eat, but will be soft enough to stir fry. soft and pliable. drain and reserve.

5. chop the shallots, garlic, cilantro stems.

6. rinse the shrimp. cut the tofu. chop the scallions. chop the peanuts. cut the lime wedges. de-leaf the cilantro. get the eggs out of the fridge and assemble everything near the stove.

7. congratulations, now you are ready to begin.

heat your wok. once hot, add in the 2 or 3 TBSP olive oil, and half of the shallot, cilantro stems, garlic. cook on high heat for 2 minutes. add in half the cut tofu. cook for 2 minutes more. push to one side, now add in 2 eggs. make sure there is enough oil to keep them from sticking. scramble lightly. now add half the noodles stir briskly and add in half the seasoning sauce and the peanuts. stir to combine and cook until the noodles are tender enough to be delicious (varies according to noodle type anywhere from 1 minute to 6 minutes, check until done). once tender, push them aside a bit and add in the shrimp. cook for 1 minute and turn them over until they are light pink. now add the bean sprouts and scallions. toss to combine. taste. add in half the cilantro leaves and serve with a lime wedge and additional cilantro leaves.. now, repeat. go ahead and try this. it is a cooking adventure not to be missed. very filling, a little unusual, and delicious. love it.

hot oat cereal with bananas and apricots

2011-01-31T09:30:00.004-05:00

since this winter has been kind of, um, special, i've been really into this hearty, life-sustaining, oat bran cereal lately. oat bran makes a great hot cereal, kind of creamy and light, really smooth, not remotely lumpy or even gloppy. this hot cereal has far more in common with cream of wheat than oatmeal. but the flavor, oaty deliciousness all the way. also, it cooks in 2 minutes. a new record even for me.

i read an interview a few years back with thomas keller, of the french laundry, arguably one of the most famous chefs in the world. well, in this inteview which was sort of about what chefs eat at home, he revealed that he brings little packets of instant oatmeal with him when he travels. he asks the hotel to bring up a pitcher of hot water, which is free, and makes his own oatmeal for breakfast, avoiding the pitfalls of expensive and heavy hotel breakfasts. brilliant. and hot oat cereals have been permanently validated in my mind ever since, because if it's good enough for thomas keller, it is definitely good enough for me, at home or away.

hot oat cereal with bananas and dried apricots

2 servings

1 cup oat bran

1 banana, sliced

6 dried apricots, snipped into tiny pieces

1 1/2 cups boiled water

first boil some water, a kettle works nicely for this. in a small saucepan, place the cereal and fruit, pour the heated water over all. stir briskly over medium heat for 1 minute. allow to rest on medium/low heat for another minute or two, stirring occasionally. scoop into bowls. the bananas and apricots get soft and sweet and flavor the cereal as they cook. drizzle with a little natural local honey for a touch of added sweetness. this will make you happy all morning long.

the joy of simple roasted root vegetables

2011-01-28T08:39:00.007-05:00

i love roasted vegetables all year long, but especially in the cold, early darkness of winter. just turning on the oven to preheat makes the kitchen seem warm and productive. then, just a little chopping, a quick toss with a few generous swirls of olive oil and a cavalier sprinkling of salt and off they go. these could make a meal on their own with just a bit of cous cous on the side, or maybe a side of some terrific hearth bread and marinated goat cheese. traditionally, they make a terrific accompaniment to roasted or grilled meat, or even a simple risotto.

the mix is always slightly different in our house, whatever we have on hand really. this time i used celery root, golden beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes and russet potatoes. however turnips, rutabagas, any of the winter squashes, they all work equally well. be creative here, it's fun to experiment. i like to cut them fairly small, which maximizes the crispy browned edges and makes for quick even cooking times.

roasted root vegetables

preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit, or if you've got a convection roast setting, 375°

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 celeriac bulb, peeled and chopped

2 golden beets, peeled and chopped

2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

couldn't be much simpler really. peel and chop your mix of vegetables. place in a medium size bowl. add several large swirls of olive oil. toss while giving a good dose of sea salt, i am really liking grey sea salt lately. slide into a roasting pan. set in your preheated oven. and forget about them for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your oven, and your pan and how browned you like them. wonderful. and not just for restaurants. i think roasted vegetables are sadly under-represented in american cookbooks, which makes no sense because they are such a simple wonderful delicious thing to make. enjoy.

snow snow + more snow

2011-01-27T07:54:00.005-05:00

okay. yesterday when i said that was a lotta snow. i didn't know what i was talking about. this morning, though, actually, we do have a lot of snow. i'll be shoveling my way to fitness most of the day. so glamorous. jealous? yeah, i didn't think so. just one more sip of green tea latte before i get to it. xo, g

still snowing

2011-01-26T14:01:00.003-05:00

my that's a lot of snow.

it is such a regular occurrence now, these snowstorms, every 4 or 5 days this month, that it just seems normal somehow. and kind of miraculous. always fresh and beautiful. enjoy. xo, g

a thing of beauty is a joy forever

2011-01-20T09:43:00.010-05:00

this awesome mortar and pestle was a holiday gift from r. carved from a single piece of carrarra marble in italy with brilliant classic looking symmetrical knob handles, and a serious heft to keep it in place no matter what. i love it. i've seen antique ones that look exactly the same. i've wanted one for ages. only problem is, it is so beautiful i am afraid to use it.

it seems more like a classical sculpture than a hardworking kitchen tool. i use a mortar and pestle a couple of times a month: to make a garlic chile cilantro paste, in vietnamese or thai dishes, to make a spice paste for biryani, to make sesame paste for japanese dishes, or salsa for mexican and central american dishes. oh such culinary adventures we will have together. i suppose you could say the discoloration and stains and scratches will only enhance it over time, and that a storied life is probably the very best kind, far better than gathering dust on a shelf.

time to break it in then, no more sitting up on the shelf watching the days go idly by for you dear mortar.

simplicity

2011-01-17T14:44:00.006-05:00

sometimes the simplest food is the best. some california organic raspberries and the lightest sprinkling of sugar. a cup of black tea with milk. a wonderful start to the day.

wherin the garden and yard are no longer visible as they have all been covered in crema

2011-01-13T13:59:00.005-05:00

all i can think when i look outside is "i want a latte with extra foam please" it all looks delicious. smooth and creamy, soft and fluffy, a bit of sparkle. poor shrubberies. well, nothing going on here. just snow. sometimes that is enough. xo, g

saturday

2011-01-08T09:59:00.011-05:00

garden armillary

epic sledding hill

sideyard

freshly powdered. love it when there is fresh snow and there is no wind, so the trees keep their frosted appearance. winter wonderland look. listening to a lively cello lesson in the next room. apricot oat bars just out of the oven. a cup of wonderful itoen black tea. most of the shoveling done last night. movie from netflix we really want to watch. plenty of firewood. cheerful and silent midterm preparations going on. cool projects underway in the studio. wonderful winter weekend. its all in the mix.

good fortune and happiness in the new year

2011-01-07T10:15:00.012-05:00

many cultures have special foods to celebrate the new year. in germany, sauerkraut brings you good luck, in the american south collard greens enhance your fortune, and the danish eat kale. in japan, mochi is an important new years food, prawns will bring you a long life, sweet beans will bring you good health, and sweet potatoes will bring you happiness.

especially important this year, greens for financial fortune. some believe the more greens you eat at the start of the new year, the greater your financial rewards in the coming year. well, after the last few years, i didn't want to take any chances. so we've eaten lots and lots of greens this week. and added in some sweet potatoes for extra happiness, which is always an important ingredient in any year.

new year's day we started out at dim sum eating lots and lots of chive dumplings, hargow shrimp dumplings and sauteed chinese greens. then at dinner that night i made swiss chard, one of my favorite greens, and japanese mountain potatoes (dense sweet potatoes). delicious. super easy to prepare.

swiss chard sauteed with garlic

2 large bunches swiss chard

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 TBSP olive oil

2/3 cup water

wash the chard. strip the leaves from the stems with your hands or with a knife. trim the stems into 1 inch lengths. next, tear the leaves into large bite size pieces.

heat a large saute pan on medium high heat. add the olive oil and toss in the garlic, swirl around for about 1 minute. add in the chard stems and the 2/3 cup of water. bring to a boil and cover. let simmer for about 8 minutes on medium heat, until tender. stir occasionally, check to make sure there is still some water in the pan so nothing burns. add in the chard leaves and the teaspoon of salt. bring the heat back up to high and saute for 4-5 minutes until the leaves are wilted. now, for the secret technique, turn the heat down to the lowest low, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. the chard and garlic will steam and caramelize and sweeten beautifully.

roasted japanese mountain potatoes*

(these look just like american sweet potatoes with slightly more purple skins and a denser, more yellow flesh)

4 large japanese yams

olive oil

a sprinkling of salt

preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

scrub potatoes. rub with a little olive oil. sprinkle with salt. place on small foil lined baking sheet. place sheet in preheated oven and bake for 60 minutes. serve with butter. yum. dense, rich and sweet, great texture.

health, happiness and good fortune all around.

*japanese mountain potatoes or yams are available sometimes at whole foods and almost always at japanese groceries and asian groceries. any sweet potatoes or yams can substitute for the japanese variety.

snow ball

2011-01-02T13:33:00.009-05:00

did you have a lovely holiday? we did. then a blizzard. nearly 2 feet of heavy snow, drifts, and high winds, for days. then we dug out, for days. which gave us a refreshing sense of purpose. then we celebrated the beginning of 2011.

and now here we are. this morning we woke to thick mist, the drip drip drip of melting snow, a warming trend. a very mysterious beginning, filled with great possibilities and a whiff of adventure.

wishing you a brilliant 2011. xo, g

2010-12-23T17:44:00.001-05:00

december, where have you gone? lost in a whirlwind. in any case my dears, have yourselves a marvelous and most delicious holiday! see you soon.

thai veggie curry

2010-12-07T17:21:00.001-05:00

i am cooking up a lot of this lately. pretty easy. loaded with vegetables, sometimes 10 different vegetables in one dish. (take that dietary guidelines.) i use store bought curry paste, only because i found one i love by thai taste. i use their red curry paste. it is head and shoulders above any other thai curry paste i've tried. it is all natural, good stuff. the result is very soothing and warming on a cold december evening, served with some fluffy thai jasmine rice.

thai veggie curry

serves 4

2 TBSP thai red curry paste

2 cans organic coconut milk

6 cloves of garlic, chopped or smashed

2 shallots, chopped

2 TBSP cilantro stems, cleaned carefully, minced

2 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp tumeric (optional)

2 TBSP fish sauce (optional)

1 TBSP brown sugar (optional)

16 oz tofu, sliced into 1/2 x 1 inch cubes

4 to 6 cups assorted mixed vegetables

such as:

1 large sweet potato, diced

1 or 2 carrots, chopped

2 small zucchini, chopped

1 small skinny eggplant, japanese or italian, chopped

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 red pepper, sliced

1 cup snow peas

1 cup green beans

1 cup okra

1 small head napa or savoy cabbage, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

2 limes

first, get the rice started. then start chopping whatever veggies you have on hand. including the shallots and garlic and cilantro stems. all done? now you are ready to cook. heat up a wok on high heat. when hot, add the olive oil, shallots, garlic and cilantro stems, stir for 30 seconds, add the curry paste, stir for 1 minute, add the tumeric, fish sauce and sugar, if using. taste to check seasoning. adjust sweet/salt balance if necessary. add the two cans of cocunut milk. and the longest cooking veg. i start the sweet potato, or carrots right away. bring to a fast simmer. cover with lid. steam for 10 minutes. add broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant. cover for 3 minutes. add green beans, snow peas, okra. cover for 3 minutes. add red pepper and chopped tofu. cover for 3 minutes. add cabbage (napa cooks faster than savoy, so add savoy with the tofu/red pepper). steam for 3 final minutes. give it a good stir. add cilantro leaves. squeeze in a little lime juice and serve the remaining lime as table garnish. then serve with that fluffy jasmine rice. warms me up just thinking about it.

december light

2010-12-03T08:53:00.000-05:00

have a great weekend. xo, g

pierogi for breakfast

2010-12-02T07:52:00.000-05:00

sometimes we need food to do more than just nourish and sustain, we need it to heal or encourage recovery. i don't usually cook breakfast during the week, the kids have an assortment of fresh fruit, tortilla's with butter, tea, hot chocolate, protein shakes, frozen dumplings, yogurt, cereal, or toast to choose from. i encourage them to prepare their own breakfast once they reach double digits, as self sufficiency is a truly wonderful thing.

this week is different, i've been cooking special breakfasts. one member of our group is down, having contracted poison ivy 2 weeks ago. he's had a really rough time of it. head to toe he has it! it got into his bloodstream apparently as he was still having new outbreaks this week. his eyes were nearly swollen shut this weekend. poor thing.

the itching is nonstop. sleep is elusive with all that itching, and so is any piece of mind. he is, however, still crazy for pierogi's, his appetite being entirely unaffected. he likes his fried with onions and an especially large dollup of organic sour cream. yum. he felt very special getting them for breakfast. it brought a big smile to his otherwise slightly cranky, overtired little face.

in the meantime, the steroid creams from the doctor weren't really working. so we found a cure that actually stopped the rash dead in it's tracks, and we found it by googling on the internet of all places. it is this miracle cream that stops the reaction by removing the urushiol (noxious plant oil that bonds to your skin within 10 minutes of exposure) after it has bonded to your skin. nothing else does that. it's been 48 hours now and his outbreaks have recovered dramatically. like a miracle. if you ever get poison ivy or poison oak or poison sumac, or someone you know is suffering because of it, know that there is a new cure available without a prescription, you will find it in walgreens or cvs, it is expensive but totally works. it is called zanfel. you can read all about it here. it takes about 2 tubes for a large outbreak and the cost is nearly $50 per tube, but it totally totally works, astoundingly effective. of course, i can't be sure it wasn't the lovingly prepared pierogi that caused his miraculous recovery, but i am about to write to zanfel laboratories in clive, iowa to tell them how amazing their product is.

i did not make these pierogi from scratch, as here on the east coast you can readily buy good quality fresh piergoi in most grocery stores. but i have made them before, and homemade are the best. we like ours filled with mashed potatoes, cabbage or spinach. martha has great recipes for homemade pierogi here and here. i've used her recipes in the past and wowee are they amazing. these are her mom's recipes and the pierogi keep quite well. so go ahead, make a batch one of these days, you will be glad you did. it is a great project for kids and grownups.

and in the interest of full disclosure, i am not being paid or compensated in any way to endorse zanfel.

it was nice, really nice

2010-11-29T10:41:00.000-05:00

i hope you had a very lovely weekend. i wasn't sure, but ours turned out to be marvelous after all: seeing old friends, lovely weather, a really clean house, and naturally, wonderful and delicious foods of all kinds. everything turned out just a little better than we'd hoped, making for a rather nice break before the craziness of the season truly begins. the kids had only a little homework, we saw movies, relaxed, talked, laughed, noshed and noshed some more.

and so far we are on top of things holiday-wise. online shopping has begun in earnest, lists are being checked off, presents are becoming wrapped, seasonal decorations are appearing, sprucing and polishing are happening. a happy busy vibe, with only a touch of trepidation this year. we are in a state of readiness. something tells me this holiday season is going to be a good ride. not extravagant certainly, but simple and sweet, and full of great moments.

let the feasting begin!

2010-11-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

pomegranate persimmon salad with leeks, a simple thanksgiving part 4

2010-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

i love this salad. the pomegranate seeds look like jewels. the persimmons are a slightly sweet and crunchy interesting counterpoint to the greens and the leeks. very festive and a nice light addition to a holiday menu.

pomegranate persimmon salad

serves 6 - 8

12 ounces mixed baby greens, rinsed and dried

1/3 pomegranate, seeds only (about 1/3 cup)

1 large or 2 small fuyu persimmons, peeled and sliced

1 leek, finely sliced

dressing

2TBSP pomegranate cherry juice

3TBSP seasoned rice vinegar

3TBSP extra virgin olive oil

(a touch of dijon mustard or some minced shallots is nice here but i usually skip it because i am overwhelmed in the kitchen at this point) assemble ingredients. whisk up the dressing. pour. toss. serve. bon appetit.

delicious sweet potatoes, roasted two ways. a simple thanksgiving part 3

2010-11-23T14:05:00.001-05:00

way number 1: wash sweet potatoes, place in a large mixing bowl. pour 1/4 cup olive oil over the potatoes to coat. mix and massage them with your hands if necessary. sprinkle with up to 1 tablespoon sea salt. place in a baking dish in a preheated 375 degree fahrenheit oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes are slightly wrinkly and collapsed. enjoy with lots of fresh organic butter. these are so rich and creamy they taste like dessert.

way number 2: peel and cube the sweet potatoes. place cubes in a medium mixing bowl, pour a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle a teaspoon or two of sea salt. mix to coat. place in a baking dish in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until browned on the edges of the cubes. serve as is. adorable, and delicious.

bread stuffing with apples and dried cranberries simple thanksgiving part 2

2010-11-22T16:56:00.000-05:00

so easy this stuffing. and nearly fool-proof. i love the mix of salty and sweet, moist and chewy in this simple savory, but slightly sweet, dressing.

2 large loaves of freshly baked bread, like baguettes, pain levain or something with a bit of tooth to it. cut into 1 inch cubes and set out to dry overnight.

3 very large onions, finely chopped

4 stalks of celery, finely chopped

1 large bunch of flat leaf parsely, leaves only, chopped

1 cup finely chopped apple, a tart one such as granny smith or braeburn

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup olive oil

2 to 3 cups chicken stock (could easily substitute vegetable stock here for a vegan version)

salt and pepper to taste

cook the chopped onions and celery over medium high heat in the olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. add parsley and stir to combine. reserve. heat the chicken stock. now in a large mixing bowl, place the bread cubes. add in the onion/celery/olive oil mixture on top of the bread cubes. combine with your hands or a large wooden spoon. add in the heated chicken stock until pleasingly moist, but not at all soggy, stop before you get to that point. season to taste with salt and pepper. it should already be delicious already, but bake it anyway as your guests will insist on it.

place mixture in large, lightly oiled casserole dish. bake at 350 degrees farenheit for 45 minutes to an hour. cover with foil if it is starting to brown too too much. (this dish can take longer to cook if there are lots of other things in the oven at the same time as is often the case on stuffing holidays). it should only take 45 minutes if it is solo in the oven.

yum. my favorite part of the holiday meal. delicious with gravy, or on its own. also quite good with crown roast of pork or roasted cornish game hens.

a simple thanksgiving part 1

2010-11-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

i like to keep things simple. and when you are a simple cook, as i am, the ingredients are not far out and the procedure is not too too complicated, but all the elements must come together with care and attention. the details and quality are that much more important when the food itself, is rather simple. i buy the highest quality organic ingredients i can. as long as they are not outrageously priced or terribly inconvenient to get to as i think it also matters how far you have to travel to pick up this or that element of your meal, and perhaps also how far it has to travel to get to you. for the next few days i am going to post my simple thanksgiving recipes, which we've been making for about a decade now. though it took us another decade to get everything just where we wanted it. cooking takes time and experimentation, but there is not much more to it than that.

cranberry orange sauce

serves 6*

1 bag fresh organic cranberries

1 large tangelo, or orange, membranes removed and chopped into large pieces

1/2 cup freshly squeezed tangelo or orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

a tiny pinch of salt

*this recipe is dead simple and can easily be doubled or tripled depending on your needs.

peel and chop the orange or tangelo, do try and save all the juice from this process and add it all to a medium saucepan with the orange pieces. add in the bag of fresh cranberries. and now the sugar. allow to come to a boil over high heat, then turn down to medium. cook for 5 minutes or so, the cranberries will begin to make a pleasing popping sound. this is fun. cook another 3 minutes or so as the cranberries collapse a bit. taste for sweetness. most recipes call for 1 - 2 cups of sugar, i try to get away with as little as i can, some cranberries are sweeter than others, so i find it is a bit different every year. when you get it just right, turn off the heat and allow to cool for 3 minutes. then pour into a serving dish and allow to cool the rest of the way. at this point the cranberry sauce can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. but i like it best still warm. yum. not to sweet. so simple. and so delicious.

what have i been up to? mad science experiments

2010-11-09T10:33:00.000-05:00

i finally did it! i finally got around to starting my own starter. or natural leavening for bread. with the help and handholding and guidance of peter reinhardt, renowned bread expert. i'm onto day five or so of the process. with a few more days and some luck i will be baking pain au levain with my own wild yeasts and bacteria.

why have this strange mixture bubbling on my countertop at room temperature all week? naturally leavened bread keeps longer, uses an overnight slow fermentation process and tastes better (the last one is just my opinion). will let you know how it goes. to make your own starter, the process is really quite simple. unbleached whole wheat flour and unsweetened pineapple juice and spring water. read more about it from the experts here and here. you can keep the starter forever in your refrigerator as long as you care for it, nurture it and refresh it regularly. in other words, frequent, long vacations are not conducive to healthy starter. but i am going to be around for a while, so here goes nothing. it is bubbling away on my counter right now. apparently one is more likely to be successful if one names the starter, as it is easier to remember to feed your starter with flour every few days if you name it fred or something. so the kids and i have been trying to come up with just the right name. so far we've considered: liz lemon, phineas, ferb, goku, vegita, thomas jefferson, flaubert, etc. if you have any great name suggestions, do let me know. by this time next week, fingers crossed, our first loaf. i wonder if the bread will take on the personality of it's namesake? time will tell.

i've been meaning to do this for about a year now and it seemed for the longest time as though i would never get around to it. but here i am, getting around to it. a great winter project i think. how about you? any seasonal projects on your to do list? i am still carrying around a half-finished knitting project from the 1990s, but who knows, maybe i'll get around to that to, one of these days.

blogiversary

2010-11-04T08:01:00.000-04:00

hey it's a blogiversary. i nearly missed it. now cup and table is two. woo hoo!

amazing how fast the time goes when you add blogging into your weekly routine. it's been a great experience in so many ways. i am still so amazed and flabbergasted at the content and community of the blogging world, which honestly, is a resource we've only just begun to tap.

a very special, heartfelt thank you to all of you who make the time to visit cup and table. i love the conversation about food, vegetables, art, and photography, and reading your interesting comments and thoughts and suggestions. i love to hear what you think, i love to hear what is going on in your part of the world, and also what is going on in your kitchen. i also love meeting fellow bloggers through their blogs, i love going to your sites and seeing all your wonderful photographs and visuals and reading what you are up to. there are so many talented people out there. so many. it is all beautiful. grazie mille!

my family and i must have unknowingly celebrated this small milestone last weekend. it was exciting and special. first, we met maira kalman and alice waters at maira's book signing @ a chelsea gallery, which raised a bit of money for alice's edible schoolyard project. they are now building a garden/greenhouse/kitchen at a school in new york city, ps 216 in brooklyn, which is fantastic news. and they've already broken ground see here. it is so important to support local, sustainable, and organic agricultural knowledge. we cannot leave this important part of our culture entirely up to agribusiness. i think we can mostly agree that would not go so well in the future. i love to see that in the u.s. we seem to be devoting more of our attention to the art of growing and preparing food. eating healthier. enjoying our food more, rather than simply enjoying more food.

i'd also like to thank new york city for being so wonderful, so varied, and so inspiring. i've only been back on this coast for 4 years, but it continues to be great, so many amazing chefs doing such interesting work. on saturday alone, we stopped at pulinos for pizza, where mr. nate appleman himself was behind the counter, (on what appears to be his last weekend at the restaurant), we also stopped by the sweet life on the lower east side, for (yes you guessed it) sweets, then dinner at my favorite family restaurant in the entire world (a warm, authentic, japanese restaurant where they know our names) wajima. all wonderful. great food, family. a fitting celebration i think, seeing artists and chefs and women doing great work in the world, making a difference with their art, intelligence, their care and creativity. it is a sweet life when so many voices are contributing, i love it all.

taking care of things

2010-11-02T13:05:00.000-04:00

we sure eat a lot of salad, see here, here, here, and here.

so, we have a few salad bowls. these maple bowls are my favorite ones of the bunch. i finally got around to oiling them the other day and boy were they happy about it! the bowls, sad from neglect, were looking kind of grey and dull and dry. i am happy to report they now they look fresh and new again. i'd seasoned them (oiled them with mineral oil or olive oil) quite a lot at first, and then forgot all about it. best to do this every month or two, rather than every year or two. lots to do when the seasons change. otherwise, we are going around getting the house, and us, ready for that cold, dark time ahead which i am not ready to name just yet. sweaters and coats and all manner of hats and scarves and mittens pulled from storage. putting away beachy things. turning off hose bibs and sprinkler systems. stocking up on firewood. sewing a few draft-chasing door snakes. making lip balm and body butter to keep our skin fresh and moist. otherwise taking care of things.

friday photo

2010-10-29T10:26:00.000-04:00

time for a friday photo. happy weekend, xo g

golden lentils with brown basmati, cucumber salad and yogurt

2010-10-28T09:25:00.001-04:00

i am enjoying october very much. are you? are you having a good month? i hope so. i've been cooking up a storm of curry. indian, thai, it is all completely delicious. i love when i have the energy to cook a lot. which certainly isn't always. i am a big believer in microwave popcorn and an apple for dinner or pasta every night or takeout when energy levels are lagging. but, when energy and creativity are working together, i love to cook. and then we eat better and feel better and have more energy to cook, a virtuous circle, which is a nice change from all those vicious circles we are always finding ourselves in.

well props to martha for this recipe, recently featured in her magazine whole living, (formerly body and soul). so simple. so fast. so nutritious. so inexpensive. so amazingly tasty. my kids swear it is now their favorite meal. i have made this a few times and have tweaked the proportions and ingredients for our appetites and pantry holdings. you can see martha's version here. deliciousness! the contrasting textures and flavors make this an exciting dish that belies its simplicity.

golden lentils with brown basmati, cucumber salad and yogurt

for the rice

2 cups brown basmati rice, cooked according to package directions. i use a rice cooker for the brown basmati, i make two cups of dry rice, which makes a whole lot of cooked rice, maybe 5 cups. (fyi, i am still terribly in love with my neuro fuzzy zojirushi rice cooker, 15 years of constant use and still makes great rice).

lentils

2 cups chopped onion (i giant or 2 small)

6 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups golden lentils

6 cups of water or chicken stock

1 heaping teaspoon tumeric

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 TBSP olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

cucumber salad

2 small cucumbers, chopped

2 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, finely chopped

juice of 1 lime or lemon

1 TBSP yuzu or white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

to serve

1 1/2 cups plain organic yogurt

cilantro leaves for garnish

once the rice is going, saute the onions and garlic with the tumeric and cumin, at least 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. add in the lentils and the stock or water, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer until tender about 20 minutes, add more water if it gets too thick. now make the cucumber salad. stir all ingredients together. once the rice and lentils are done, serve in bowls, first place the rice, then the lentils over top, then the cucumber salad and yogurt, then the garnish. delicious, nutritious, frugal and simple. love it when everything comes together like that.

autumn winds

2010-10-22T13:57:00.000-04:00

the wind is howling today. windy, sunny, cloudy, warm, cold, all of those.

beet pickles

2010-10-19T11:43:00.001-04:00

pickling at home! you can do it too! (it is so easy.) great for lunches and snacking. and i promise, no fancy equipment or long hours of labor required.

i bought some crazy beets at the farmer's market recently, they were kind of radish-colored. more deep fuchsia than dark burgundy like they usually are, i had no idea what they would look like inside but they looked fresh and amazing, so home they went with me. the amazing crazy stripes were a wonderful surprise. i really loved them visually, and completely.

but then i am one of those people who loves beets. love the mineral-y dense sweet taste of beets, most any way at all. i usually slow roast them in a 300 degree F oven as per thomas keller and alice waters instructions, with a little water and/or olive oil and a pinch of salt in a tightly covered small dish. once tender (an hour or two depending on size) peel them while still warm, then slice and splash a little apple cider vinegar over them and serve with roast pork tenderloin, or make them into borscht, or save for a salad or later munching. but the weather was marvelous, and the day i made these and called for something light and crisp, a fresh fall taste. enter beet pickles. they cured up so quickly, in just 4 to 6 hours. wonderful. these are based on david chang's vinegar pickle master recipe from his momofuku cookbook, with a small change or two. i did not have 2 pounds of beets so i made half beets and half carrots. and i never have rice wine vinegar on hand so i used half rice vinegar and half white wine vinegar. i really love these quick pickles, so great for snacking, packed lunches and of course with david chang's pork buns, which we also made that day for a large lunch with friends.

beet pickles

3 to 4 medium sized beets, peeled and thinly sliced into half moon shapes

1 cup hot water

1/4 cup brown rice vinegar

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

6 T sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

(note this makes more pickling brine than you need so i made a pound of carrot pickles at the same time. peel, halve and then quarter the carrots into strips). naturally you could double the amount of beets, but that's a lot of beet pickles, even for me.

place cut and trimmed vegetables into a clean glass container (non reactive), pour liquid over the vegetables. cover and allow to cool. after cooled, refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of a week. they will be, of course, lightly pickled at first, which is nice, or more intensely pickled after several days, but will stay crisp and delicious for a week. i have often heard that these quick pickled vegetables retain most of their vitamins and fiber, more so than other preparation methods. try it!

this same recipe will work for cauliflower. many other vegetables and even fruits lend themselves quite well to pickling. some require different recipes and handling than these, based on density and texture. stay tuned for more on my pickling adventures in future posts. once you get started, it is hard to stop.

beautiful fall days

2010-10-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

october is such a gorgeous month, no matter where you live. it's been beautiful here lately, but i've been busy, too busy. i shot these just this morning (from the deck off the kitchen). which reminds me (i often need reminding), beauty is all around, we just need to slow down and look around a bit to notice. xo, g

squash, beautiful squash

2010-10-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

it's finally the weekend. what a long strange week it has been. productive, but so very long. maybe it's because i am so excited for the weekend: an extra day off for columbus day, great friends coming over, a trip to the city for some culture, gardening, meals out /meals in. weather prediction: gorgeous. also, i'll be roasting up these beautiful organic acorn squash fresh from the farmer's market. although they are so visually stunning i hate to cut into them. (i'll get over it). have a great weekend everybody! xo, g

farro ristotto

2010-10-05T12:38:00.001-04:00

i have a new favorite food: farro risotto. have you tried it yet? farro is one of those foods just now entering our group consciousness, recently becoming a favorite of chefs for it's ease of use and high nutrition content when compared to other grains. it is not new to italians, who have been using it for centuries, though it fell out of favor for a while. it has been available in health food stores for quite some time but is now, happily, gaining wider popularity. you can read more about farro here.

farro risotto, of course, is not really "risotto" but an adaptation. i am here to tell you, it is just as delicious, if not more so. farro has a wonderfully chewy texture that makes a great dish with creamy cheese and delicately crunchy vegetables as delicious counterpoints to all that comforting creaminess and chewiness. high in protein, vitamins and fibre, and completely delicious. farro, you are amazing.

farro risotto with zucchini, snap peas, and leek

2 cups farro

3 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

2 TBSP organic extra virgin olive oil, plus more to saute green vegetables

1 cup snap peas, de-stringed

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced

1 leek, sliced and finely chopped

1 quart plus 2 cups organic chicken stock

1/3 cup marscapone cheese

1/4 cup parmegiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated, to serve

salt and pepper to taste

first, soak the farro in three cups of water for 15 minutes. meanwhile, chop the onion, zucchini, and leek and de-string the snap peas.

in a large open saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil. cook over moderate heat for 4 minutes, until softened. drain the farro and add to the onions. stir and cook for 2 minutes until combined. start to add in the stock, a cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. i find with farro, it doesn't absorb much for 15 minutes or so, and then becomes quite "thirsty" for stock, as it does, it becomes quite creamy, then you know you are getting close. taste to test for doneness.

set a medium pan of salted boiling water on the stove. blanch the snap peas for 3 minutes until tender yet still crisp. drain and reserve. discard all but half a cup of the water. add in a tablespoon of olive oil and bring to a boil, add in the zucchini and cook for 4 minutes until softened but still bright green and not at all soggy. drain and reserve. now saute the chopped leek in a little olive oil until tender, 2 -3 minutes.

when the farro becomes creamy and tender, swirl in the 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese, add the cooked leeks, zucchini, and snap peas. season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with the freshly grated parmigiano.

so creamy and delicious, you won't believe it. kids and adults all asked for seconds at our house.

i first tasted something like this at northern spy, a great little place in the east village, i really recommend for local sustainable deliciousness.

henri matisse, radical invention @ moma

2010-10-04T14:37:00.000-04:00

saw the matisse exhibit at MOMA this rainy new york monday. fantastic. it was so great to see pieces from Centre Pompidou, Art Institute of Chicago, MOMA, Detroit, as well as private collections, all together. it was a compelling grouping on many levels, and i saw several pieces i had not seen up close before. the exhibit focuses on just four years from 1913 - 1917, after matisse returned from morocco, and before he left for nice, and also during the start of WWI. great concept and great execution from the curators. it is only open for 1 more week and i may just go again. the painting above, bathers by a river, is an interesting study of matisse's process and revisions over several years. he worked on the painting off and on for 8 or 9 years, altering pretty dramatically before it was final. for those of you who can't run out to see the show, i recommend the art institute of chicago website about the exhibition. inspiring and gorgeous artwork always makes me feel better, especially on a very rainy monday.

rustic apple yogurt cake

2010-09-27T12:48:00.000-04:00

apple season!!!!!! i just love apple season.

i grew up in the midwest not far from some wonderful farms that had incredible farm markets in the summers. the kind of voluptuous farm markets that dependably unloaded large open trucks of fresh sweet corn every few hours, direct from field to pot, everyone we know bought corn nearly every day in the summer. why eat day old corn when you can eat corn that was picked a few hours ago? there was also an amazing apple orchard with freshly made, unpasteurized cider, and great varieties of apples: early, late, tart, sour, sweet, crisp. the orchard was remote, but always busy and bustling. wonderful.

now that the farmer's markets around here are overflowing with apples, i find myself eating a couple of apples a day (namely jonathans, empires, macouns and macintosh, these are my favorites, the tart eating varieties). amazingly, i still have some apples left for cooking and baking. because apples are completely irresistible to me and, i buy them, not by the bushel, but almost. i really loved going to that apple orchard as a child. so crunchy and sweet/tart these farm fresh apples. we make do, of course, as we must, in late winter when the apples are no longer farm fresh. luckily, all kind of apples are still available and good for baking at that time. this year, i was thinking i wanted to try an apple yogurt cake, since they are perfect for breakfast in a hurry or an after school snack and this cake will keep well for days.

after perusing a lot of recipes, this is what i came up with, it was delicious.

rustic apple yogurt cake

3 cups chopped apples, i use organic granny smith

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups organic all purpose flour (i always use king arthur flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

optional: 2 TBSP brandy instead of the vanilla

preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit

first, chop the apples, i like to make it rustic and leave the peel on. if you have someone who is averse to large apple pieces you could certainly peel and grate the apples instead). pour 1 cup sugar over the shopped apples and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes, this step pulls a lot of the juice out of the apples and flavors the sugar.

next mix 4 eggs with 1 cup yogurt and the vanilla or brandy if using. add in the olive oil. in a separate container, mix the dry ingredients. now, mix the apple mixture with the yogurt/egg mixture. lightly mix the dry ingredients into this, mixing till combined while also mixing as little as possible,. it may look like a lumpy, ghastly mess at this point. that is okay. it turns out delicious. it is not necessary to get the lumps out.

bake in a 9 inch spring form pan that is generously buttered and floured, or since i didn't have that i used a 9 inch insulated cake pan lined with parchment. you could also use a 9 inch rectangular baking pan lined with parchment. i prefer to use parchment in that it doesn't add any butter or flour to the recipe, and this recipe is pretty healthy and not very sweet. no butter, just yogurt and olive oil.

bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. a casual, yummy apple yogurt cake for snacks and breakfast. for dessert you could serve it dusted with powdered sugar and with some sweetened whipped cream with brandy. yum. this is a super moist cake that keeps very well. yay, apple season!

cool blue breakfast

2010-09-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

hello autumn. so far you are really hot and humid. steamy even. thickly overcast.

for a gentle start to the day, this could only mean something cool and blue and refreshing for breakfast. one needs sustenance and comfort on a day like today. so a bit of yogurt with a few ripe juicy figs, the last of the mount hood cherries, a few northern blueberries and a couple of freshly toasted pistachios for crunch and color. several cups of iced japanese green tea. it's been a long week and change is definitely in the air. have a great weekend everyone, you all certainly deserve it! xo, g

fresh fish tacos, revisited

2010-09-21T10:08:00.000-04:00

okay, these tacos are fantastic and easy and delicious and healthful. they are also completely inspired by the tuna tacos we ate with great frequency at faith's seafood shack on martha's vineyard this summer. they are so good and so easy, it should be some kind of crime. i feel a little felonious every time i eat these, like i am getting away with something slightly illegal. great food should be more trouble than this, right? a disparaging amount of sweat and toil are supposed to be required to achieve such fantastic results. well, that's what i'd always thought, until these marvelous tacos came into my life.

miraculously, the recipe can be altered to serve anywhere from 1 to 50 people pretty easily. a great meal to indulge in by yourself, or with your husband while your children are otherwise occupied for dinner at any number of sports, parties, dances, sleepovers etc. the kids love them as much as we do, but why waste such great food on them? (mostly kidding, of course) my children are completely pampered and indulged, they are also hard-working students and emerging foodies who adore and insist on great food, and are charming in every way. and yet, parents deserve some perks. so go ahead, indulge yourself. this recipe is completely adaptable, add avocados as i've done here, queso fresco or any number of other elements, it is entirely up to you.

one more great aspect of these tacos is no fried fish, (as is often the case in my favorite fish tacos in hawaii and southern california). here, the fish is sauteed or grilled, with no loss in complexity or flavor. which means, no fried food guilt and no messy fish frying, this really puts them over the top in my book.

fresh tuna* tacos with lime cilantro creme fraiche

serves 4

1lb tuna steak, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, washed and dried, stems removed

3 TBSP olive oil

juice of 1 lime

pinch of cumin

stir to coat the fish

2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

8 soft tortillas, only 8 if they are thick, (16 if they are thin and you need to double up)

lime cilantro creme fraiche

1 cup creme fraiche or kefir cheese or sour cream

juice of one lime

pinch of cumin (adjust to taste)

pinch of chile powder

1 TBSP minced cilantro

optional

1 sliced avocado

1/2 cup fresh sweet corn, off the cob

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

first, marinate the fish in lime a little lime juice, salt, cilantro and chile powder or cumin and olive oil in a non reactive glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowl. just for a few minutes while you get everything else ready. second, slice your cabbage ultra fine. use a mandoline if you like. i like to do it by hand, its a zen thing. anyone can do it, but you need the right frame of mind to concentrate on it to shave it super thin. you also need a super sharp knife that has a nice wide blade, one you are comfortable using. great knife skills practice. next, mix the creme fraiche with the lime juice, and cumin, chile powder and minced cilantro. place this in a small serving bowl. then slice and avocado or crumble the queso fresco, if using.

now set to work on warming the tortillas. to save time, i often wrap them in foil and place in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes. but to get a better result i heat them individually in small pan on the stove, heating them on high until they puff up a bit, then turning. this is a great job for a kitchen helper while you are busy with the fish. keep them warm by covering with a clean dry kitchen towel as you heat the rest, it really works.

now, when everything else is ready and the tortillas are halfway there. heat a medium teflon skillet on high and sear the tuna on two sides, this only takes 2 to 3 minutes at most. they brown up beautifully very quickly. they might be a little pink inside, that is what we want. don't overcook or the tuna loses a great deal of its charm. bring everything to the table and ready, set, assemble. just the way you like it. serve with some fresh sweet corn or some beans and rice on the side.

*always try to find sustainable fish sources. there are limited options for sustainable fresh tuna steaks, but they do exist, and as farming tuna becomes possible through advances in technique, we may not have to give up this delicious fish after all. i buy my tuna only from whole foods at this point. swordfish would also work well in this dish.

light as air fruit scones

2010-09-13T10:55:00.001-04:00

one thing i did this summer was develop a serious addiction to scones. not those dense, brick-like things you are likely to find at certain ubiquitous global coffee outlets. but rather, these light, delicate, crumbly, wonderful, fresh scones still warm from the oven. fruited scones. it all happened on vacation, as these things sometimes do.

at the delightful hob knob inn in edgartown on martha's vineyard, breakfast was included, a wonderful thing in and of itself. and also, breakfast was perfect. perfectly cooked eggs, choice of sides and breads, tea, coffee, fruit, fresh squeezed juices and the best scones i had tasted in many many years. these were not dry like ships biscuits. they were light as air, delicate crumb, warm and flavorful, crispy edges. wonderful. they served different flavors every day, cranberry, blueberry, peach, raisin. all perfectly addictive, though blueberry was my favorite. and it was self service, you could take as many as you wanted. such generosity!

quite spoiled upon my return, i wanted nothing else for breakfast. luckily, i had the good fortune to have a similar recipe already in my possession, squirreled away several years ago whilst we lived in san francisco. a recipe from a wonderful chef, maria helm sinskey. she once worked at plumpjack cafe in san francisco, and now i believe devotes her time to being head chef at her husband's napa vineyard, (robert sinskey vineyards, where incidentally, they make excellent wines). in any case, maria and i worked together in the kitchen at a charity event where we bonded over butter, the very best danish butter*, and the amazing scones she baked for the event. they were currant, which i didn't hold against them at all, even though i find currents to be so tiny and dry they hold little appeal. (that shows you how good these really scones are, they can even overcome the shortcomings of dried currants!)

there was only one thing to do once i returned from mv: dust off maria's shamefully unused recipe, switch out those currants and make a few other minor adjustments (more sugar, less cream, more fruit). i used a combination of blueberries and nectarines and, wow. they turned out amazing. i will be making more later this week, and possibly every week from now on, maybe with some figs, or the last of the peaches or the early apples. i can't say. anything would be spectacular.

without further adieu,

light as air fruit scones

makes approximately 15 scones

4 ounces very cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks, preferably lurpak danish butter

1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup organic sugar

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup total fresh fruit: berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

and/or peaches, or nectarines chopped into small chunks

(if using chopped fruit and it is very juicy and moist, you may want to lessen the amount of liquid added in the final step.

if using berries, no need to chop, berry sized is perfect.)

3/4 cup organic heavy cream

1/4 cup organic milk

preheat oven to 450 degrees F or 425 if you have a convection oven

mix together the salt, baking powder, sugar and flour in a mixing bowl. add the cold butter chunks. with a cuisinart, pastry blender, or mixer with a paddle attachment, blend in the butter until it resembles sandy, coarse, cornmeal. add the fruit. then add the cream/milk mixture. mix with a wooden spoon only until the mixture just comes together. turn out onto a floured board and knead ever so lightly to incorporate the ingredients. line your baking sheet with parchment paper. drop dough onto baking sheet in two inch mounds. or cut the dough with a 2 inch round cutter. i prefer the more rustic drop method myself. more nooks and crannies that way. bake for just 10 minutes or so. they will be puffed and golden with light brown edges. allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

enjoy. miraculous, life-affirming, delicate and delicious, scones. but be careful, they are powerfully addictive.

* maria went to pastry school in denmark and firmly believes the best butter in the world is danish butter, because it is so very elastic. which makes it wonderful to work with and superior for all types of baking and pastry. in the ensuing years, i have found her to be 100% right. danish butter has never let me down, and always improves my results, by at least a smidge.

my brain is still on martha's vineyard

2010-08-31T09:01:00.001-04:00

in the cozy hamlet/charming fishing village of menemsha in particular. it is beautiful, quiet, and still at sunset, and makes you feel almost like you are in a remote outpost in norway somehwere.

and then around a corner, there is soft serve. really great soft serve. at the menemsha galley. so much quaintness and beauty and all your food needs met so perfectly. that is martha's vineyard.

it is time to come back home though. my son started school this week and my daughter started field hockey 2-a-days. much focus is required to fill out and hand in all the right forms, so many forms. get the equipment and supplies in the right bags. water bottles. lunch. check. check. and check.

it wasn't easy to keep my vineyard feeling going so long. i've tried with some small success to imitate the wonderful meals we enjoyed. i've created a few new recipes inspired by the trip, as i tend to do. i really do travel for food. food and inspiration. recipes coming soon. xo, g

Chilmark Chocolates (more martha's vineyard wonderfulness)

2010-08-28T15:25:00.001-04:00

remember those old-fashioned chocolatiers, the ones who lovingly made each piece by hand and the chocolates were always super fresh, like they were just made? this rare expertise still exists in chilmark. every single time i drove by this tiny up island shop, there was a line out the door. a line that took 15 minutes just to get inside the chocolate shop. there is a pleasant wooden porch for this purpose, so the wait isn't so bad. and everyone is real friendly in line, like all of you are so smart to even be waiting in this particular line, that it is kind of like a secret smart chocolate persons club. and importantly, you are all going to walk out with a great box of chocolates sooner or later. it is a happy line.

once, inside you are handled smartly and efficiently by friendly custom chocolate box consultants who steer you along until you've got your box just the way you like it. they are very patient with you if you hem and haw a bit your first time. they don't mind. they understand. and speak in soothing tones so you feel you've made the right decisions. the price seems like a steal. the taste is incredible, like you just made chocolates in your own kitchen an hour ago just the way you like them.

if i could i would

2010-08-26T10:15:00.000-04:00

hop right back on that ferry to vineyard haven. and take a drive up island. to aquinnah. the views are so spectacular of the gay head cliffs. gay head light. and moshup beach. i would breathe in the views and drink in the marvelous sea air.

ahhh. so lovely.

wonderful views in every direction. stunning.

this would be exhilarating, of course, and maybe might make me a little hungry.

so, i would stride over to faith's, conveniently located in the center of all this, and me and the family would order the usual delicious assortment of fish tacos, lobster rolls, meatball subs and the world's greatest clam chowder.

nice.

i still can't stop thinking about it

2010-08-24T21:10:00.000-04:00

we had such a great week on martha's vineyard, it really was one of those magical vacations. the weather was charming, the food was amazing, the beaches, the waves, the inn, all fabulous. and the seafood shacks? great. we went back to faith's seafood shack in aquinnah 3 or maybe even 4 times (that good!), her clam chowder was the best, and so were her fish tacos. edgartown seafood was great too. amazingly sweet and fresh steamed lobster which they kindly crack for you if you ask, and truly excellent fried clams. every single shack had the best something. there is no dressing up and no formal dining required to get a great dinner on mv. though there are plenty of nice restaurants too. the casualness and beauty and great food really make it my kinda place.

it was fresh and familiar, as we'd vactioned there about 10 years ago and i spent one whole summer on the island during college. all in all, it is a pretty easy island to get to know if you go with the flow and take your time. great movie theaters, bookstores, surf shops, bakeries, general stores, farmer's markets. oh i could go on and on. i'll share some more vineyard photos tomorrow as i am suddenly so very sleepy and headed off to bed just now. night all. xo, g

it's been great

2010-08-17T11:23:00.000-04:00

it has been really great out here on martha's vineyard. so much beauty! we all feel refreshed and recharged. now it is time to head home, we are ready to get back into it. see you soon. xo, g

at the beach

2010-08-13T10:43:00.000-04:00

happy weekend everybody. we are spending ours at the beach. boogie boarding. eating fried clams and ice cream cones. going to peach festivals and farmer's markets. steamed lobster picnics on the beach at sunset, meteor showers. really lovely. xo, g

peaches!

2010-08-08T12:21:00.000-04:00

"an apple is an excellent thing - until you have tried a peach." said george du maurier sometime before 1900. still so true. and peaches are at their peak right now. so many ripe, luscious juicy ones we have been eating. glorious.

all this bounty can sometimes induce me into a bit of a panic though, no matter how firm i buy them, or in what stages of softness, they all seem to ripen at exactly the same time. the perfume in the kitchen is wonderful but and at certain points this summer there has been ripening fruit all over my kitchen: avocados, peaches, apricots, tomatoes. each imploring to be eaten right now. a bad case of fruit ripening panic. this generally calls for emergency fruit salad for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, and then maybe emergency guacamole for dinner. it would also be an excellent idea to keep some pastry dough in the freezer for emergency fruit tarts as well. these ripe peaches and stone fruits can be a quite an urgent matter.

once, a long time ago, i was very happy to be in greece in august. for all over the city of athens fruit vendors with carts and in shops were selling giant peaches, peaches nearly as big as my head! these peaches were not only large in size but in flavor, texture, color, in every way. each morning i would head out early and buy one for breakfast. i would quickly head back to the flat with my treasure and devour it over the sink, slurping occasionally, in an attempt to prevent the abundant juice from pouring down my face (a lost cause, let me tell you). but such a lavish breakfast. true luxury. this marvelous ritual went on for a week until i took a boat to the islands. which were lovely of course. but alas, when i returned a month later, no more peaches, the season was over. i don't think i was ever so devastated, before, or since.

so if you are like me, there may be some fruit ripening in your kitchen right now. it is probably delicious. do hurry, the season is all too short.

brownie quest

2010-08-06T12:56:00.000-04:00

i have been on a brownie quest all week. you see, i had a sudden craving for brownies last week. this is unusual as i am more in the savory camp than the sweet tooth camp, and yet, there it was. an intense desire to eat the perfect brownie. this was probably due, in no small part, to my children who adore the brownies from le pain quotidien. which are very good. but sometimes they can be a bit stale, on an off day, and oh, that is almost too much disappointment to bear when you are in the mood for a really good brownie. it was clear, we had to find a reliable in-house source to fulfill our brownie requirement.

what did i want in a brownie? something rich, substantial, dark, flavorful, but not too sweet. there is an outrageous amount of sugar in some brownie recipes (2 cups of sugar and more). and i just can't have that.

my quest process went something like this: first, i researched brownie recipes from my past, recipes i had used before, i checked out the lpq recipe also, which i plan to try one day, but the idea of making two separate batters and then combining them was too complicated for me in summertime. so then i consulted the recipes of some of my favorite baking experts. i took a few ideas from each. i baked a batch nearly every day. (making my family very happy in the process). tweaking the recipe, changing a few things.

i have come up with a recipe i love. one that is perfect for me. my son loves it too. perfect with a glass of milk. it is dark and rich and velvety. paired with vanilla ice cream and warmed chocolate sauce, it is some kind of taste of heaven. my husband and my daughter, they maybe want something a little sweeter. not bad, they say. so thankfully, the quest continues. it is hard work, but someone's got to do it.

rich velvety double chocolate brownies

10 TBSP unsalted organic butter (1 stick plus 2 TBSP)

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate broken into pieces (best chocolate you can find, organic green&blacks is nice)

1 cup + 1 TBSP organic sugar

4 large eggs, whisked

1 TBSP vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (i used green&black's cocoa powder as well)

1 cup sifted organic flour

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. line a 13 x 9 baking pan with parchment.

melt the chocolate pieces and the butter in a glass container in the microwave or over a double boiler. i like to use the microwave for this as it takes 1 minute 30 seconds at most. often less. allow the butter and chocolate mixture to cool for 5 minutes. stir until smooth. add the vanilla extract and stir in the sugar.

whisk in the 4 eggs, the cocoa and the salt. stir until combined. now gently and swiftly add the sifted flour, stirring only as much is absolutely necessary to combine.

pour the batter into the parchment lined pan. bake until set, only about 15 to 20 minutes. 17 minutes worked for me. simple, dark, rich, velvety brownies in half an hour! cut into squares while still warm. a fine accomplishment during one sultry week in august.

vietnamese shrimp

2010-08-06T10:55:00.001-04:00

this is one of those fast, easy summer suppers that still has a lot of flavor and interest. somewhat kid friendly. my daughter does not like shrimp, so we cook some tofu for her the same way. she loves it. this dish works quite well with scallops or cleaned squid also.

vietnamese shrimp

1 pound medium to large shrimp, shelled, deveined

3 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

2 TBSP minced cilantro stems

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 TBSP brown sugar or agave nectar

2-3 limes, cut into wedges

handful of cilantro leaves

mix fish sauce and sugar or agave nectar together. saute garlic, shallot, scallions, cilantro stems for 1 minute on very high heat. add shrimp, stir, add fish sauce mixture. throw in half the cilantro leaves. continue to saute until shrimp is just cooked, another minute or two at most. remove from heat. squeeze 1 of the limes over the shrimp. sprinkle on the cilantro leaves. stir. serve immediately with some jasmine rice, lime wedges and maybe a cool cucumber salad. so fast.

gazpacho

2010-07-30T13:33:00.000-04:00

while we are talking about cool summer soups, let us remember gazpacho. the brilliant spanish, and also portugese, soup made from tomatoes, bread, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, etc. so easy. just chop, blend and chill. so refreshing.

if you have ever seen the movie women on the verge of a nervous breakdown by pedro almodovar, you will remember one of the few movies where a food is featured so heavily, it nearly becomes a character in the film. gazpacho, in the peak of tomato season, is a scene stealer. if you do see the film, you will enjoy the wonderful carmen maura and also antonio banderas when he was a very very young man, a great early film by one of my favorite directors. i could go on and on, but back to soup.

gazpacho has ancient origins and many variations. here is my favorite recipe. the secret is lots of cucumber and a good amount of olive oil. a great recipe when you need to eat but can't bear to turn on the stove or the oven. you can make it as simple, rustic, chunky, crunchy, smooth, or complicated as you want.

gazpacho

2 pounds ripe juicy summer tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced celery (optional)

1 large clove garlic (or two small)

1 cup cubed bread with the crusts cut off (rustic country loaves are best i find)

1/2 cup very cold water

1 large cucumber

1/2 cup parsley leaves

3 TBSP olive oil

seasoning

2 TBSP champagne vinegar (sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar could work here too)

2 tsp sea salt

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup organic mixed vegetable juice (optional, you won't need this if your tomatoes are perfecto)

garnish

chopped cucumber (essential)

chopped avocado (optional)

minced celery (optional)

chopped parsley (optional)

lemon wedges

another drizzle of olive oil

first, chop the garlic clove(s). place bread cubes, garlic and cold water in a bowl to soak and flavor, maybe a little salt or olive oil if you like. now coarsely chop the red pepper and celery, if using. place in blender and blend briefly until mixed. now chop the tomatoes and 1/2 the cucumber (reserve the other half for garnish), add these to the blender as well and pulse until blended but still a bit chunky. add in the bread, parsley leaves, olive oil, and now the seasonings. taste as you go to get the right blend, adding a little of each. when you've got it where you want it. chill for one hour, then serve. no cooking whatsoever. brilliant.

nectarines in season

2010-07-27T11:37:00.000-04:00

amazing and fresh from the farmer's market: local, connecticut-grown nectarines, so red they are almost purple. and a new study indicates summer stone fruits may protect against certain types of cancer. one more reason to load up on precious, sweet, juicy nectarines. they make great fruit salad, they have such a nice texture and sweet/tart balance of flavor that they need almost no flavor enhancement at all (sugar, lemon juice, lime juice,). great as a topping on yogurt for breakfast or baked into all sorts of simple fruit desserts and pastries. summer tastes so good i can't even stand it. and what's more, one hardly needs to cook, the ingredients are so good right out of the reusable grocery bag. love all this gorgeous summer simplicity.

summer trips to the library

2010-07-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

i love a good trip to the library in the summer: the soft hum of quiet activity and intellectual pursuit, the always super cool air conditioning, the interesting community of multigenerational library patrons going about their business. moms and toddlers with picture books, grandpa's with newspapers, teens with friends, enthusiastic readers of all shapes and sizes.

my kids always have their summer reading lists to work through, that is our departure point and excuse for going. we always joke that there is no limit on the number of books you can check out, except of course your very own personal limitation: what you can carry. no matter what we came in for, we always have our arms full, books piled a bit too high, when we leave.

above is a cache of books from a recent trip. what a gold mine these books have turned out to be. japanese hot pots is amazing. in fact i keep renewing it, so i will have to buy it because i can't bear to put it down. there will be a lot of japanese hot pot dinners on my table this winter. earth to table is beautiful and has just the sort of brilliant simple recipes i love. empires of food is a fascinating read on food history and the economics of food throughout civilization. really wonderful. love them all. who knows what treasures i will find this week when i return these and go back for more. i am on deadline this weekend to finish the rest before i have to return them early next week. read read read read read read. have a great weekend! xo, g

summer borscht

2010-07-21T13:03:00.001-04:00

it's been slightly warm lately, have you heard? okay so the sweltering east coast is all over the news. we are roasting, sweltering, and even melting over here. today i think it is about 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or roughly the surface temperature of the sun. i couldn't even think at the farmer's market this morning because my brain had gone all soft and melty. everyone seemed to be having trouble making change and counting bills. it was a universal affliction. i did make it home with a couple of things, back into the safety of central air conditioning.

the result of all this heat, is that now, and for a long while, all i've wanted to eat are cool foods. and cold foods. smoothies, vietnamese summer rolls, sushi, gazpacho and cool, mineral-y, summery borscht. so refreshing. pretty easy too. let me walk you through it.

summer borscht

1.5 lb organic beets, scrubbed, tops removed

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 small cucumber, finely diced or grated

2 cups chicken stock

1TBSP olive oil

1 or 2 tsp sea salt, to taste

1 TBSP wine vinegar

sour cream for garnish

first you will need to have a big bunch of organic beets. it really does pay to buy organic when you are talking about root vegetables like potatoes, beets, carrots and the like. they sit in the soil and absorb a lot of minerals, including the nasty ones in pesticides and chemical fertilizers, if you buy nothing else organic, buy organic root vegetables whenever possible.

about a pound and a half of beets should do it. scrub them and cut off their tops. set in a medium size stockpot with cool water to cover and bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes until fork tender.

meanwhile, finely chop an onion and two carrots, and a leek. set aside.

when the beets are done, reserve the beet broth, at least 3 cups of it. then drain the beets and allow to cool for 5 minutes. when slightly cooled, rub off the beet skins with your hands and chop into a small dice (about 1/2 inch). your hands will now be an awesome color of purpley-fuchsia.( it washes off with soap and water, mostly).

saute the onions and carrots in 1 TBSP of olive oil until soft, 5 minutes. add in the leek and saute another 3 minutes. now add the chopped beets and 3 cups of reserved beet stock plus 2 cups of fat free chicken stock. add 1 or 2 tsp salt and 1 TBSP wine vinegar. simmer for 10 minutes so flavors will blend. meanwhile wash and peel 1 small cucumber. chop half of it into a fine dice. or grate it with a small grater. prepare an ice bath. when the soup flavors have blended and you've adjusted the seasoning, place soup in an ice bath to cool for 10 minutes or so. alternatively, refrigerate. to serve, ladle soup into small bowls, place a spoonful of diced or grated cucumber in the center of the bowl. add a dollop of sour cream on top of that and maybe a parsley leaf, or 1 small sprig of fresh dill. serve and enjoy the cool, refreshing, mineral-y taste. so good for you too.

apricots and sugar plums

2010-07-16T13:16:00.001-04:00

they are here they are here! peak summer goodness. these local apricots and sugar plums from new york and connecticut are unbelievably amazing. produce is ripening a bit early this year compared to last. which suits me fine. these sweet, tart, firm apricots didn't arrive until nearly august last year. and the sugar plums, so tiny and delicious. my family's diet is probably 50 percent fresh fruit right now. crazy good this year. we are really living it up.

i made some nice summer borscht this week as well as gazpacho. yum. refreshing, cooling soups, recipes coming your way soon. in the meantime, keep cool and enjoy all this mid-summer perfection. xo, g

bowl of summer goodness

2010-07-13T14:04:00.000-04:00

breakfast is so easy in the summer. ripe, sweet, organic peaches, pluots, cherries, blueberries, pistachios, greek yogurt. no matter how hot it is outside, beautiful satisfying food is all around. it is still possible to eat well, even though you might just want to collapse about it instead.

during the last few weeks i've been thinking a lot about gazpacho and other cooling foods. food that don't heat up the kitchen any hotter than it already is. and so i've been looking around the blogosphere for inspiration and the brilliant luisa, over at one of my favorite food blogs the wednesday chef, did a great post this week, heat wave, about not cooking when it is oppressively hot outside and you can't even think about it. she writes from berlin and invited her readers to share their experiences with this seasonal phenomenon, and there are about a million great ideas for summer recipes in the comments. so don't give up. (i say this to myself as much as to anyone). keep cooking! you can do it!

also, rain today (finally) and possibly the end to water restrictions on our parched landscape. hooray for that. summer living, not all that easy as it turns out.

dear maine, i love you

2010-07-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

great short getaway. we are back now and we loved every minute of our trip to maine (well except for the biting flies minutes of course). otherwise completely wonderful: great food, friendly people, nice beaches, lovely scenery. low key, no fuss. some kind of simple wonderful.

have a great weekend all, xo, g

dispatch from the land of lobster rolls

2010-07-07T10:16:00.000-04:00

we have escaped the epic searing heat wave in nyc and headed due north to the merely spectacularly hot southern coast of maine. (it was still 100 degrees in portland, maine yesterday, just in case you think we got off easy). the heat is somehow more bearable, because you know you can have a lobster roll for lunch.

maine is a place where the lobster rolls are quite succulent and seriously generous. maine also produces perhaps the world's greatest lemonade, as it is pretty much always made to order, pressed right in front of you, three lemon halves and 3 heaping spoons of sugar in each icy glass. i can assure you the perfect lemon:sugar ratio has been achieved once and for all. and in maine, the whoopie pie is taken to a higher level: a tender yet substantial chocolate cake hybrid filled with a delicate cream. not at all too sweet, more like sophisticated and sublime.

marvelous maine. xo, g

easy living

2010-07-02T19:04:00.000-04:00

well, here we are: a nice long holiday weekend. i am hoping for plenty of time to sit back, relax, and luxuriate in some easy summer living. i will go to the beach, watch the fireworks and eat a lobster roll or two. but for now, i want to sit back, put my feet up, and enjoy an icy summer drink. clink clink. enjoy. xo, g

p.s. these are my new moroccan slippers from maryam in marrakesh, she had a flash sale the other week and i've barely taken them off since they arrived. so exotic, so exquisite, so sultry (so comfy). thanks maryam, i really love them.

big bambu: you can't, you don't, and you won't stop

2010-06-30T22:13:00.000-04:00

i had really been wanting to visit big bambu, the current rooftop exhibit at the metropolitan museum by the starn twins. smartly we went on the most perfectly gorgeous day ever in the history of new york city! loved the work on so many levels: sculptural, aesthetic, conceptual, intellectual, metaphorical. you can see a nyt video of the starn twins talking about the work here.

one of the artists is pictured below (through the bamboo), talking with some museum visitors.

from central park the sculpture looks like a rather large bird's nest.

new york city is such a great town for public art, art is everywhere and not just in the museums.

fortunately one cannot enjoy art on an empty stomache, so we stopped at EAT for some picnic essentials and had lunch in the park. on our way out, we stopped at le pain quotidien on madison for some iced coffee and mini palmier cookies. great day out.

velvet plumcots

2010-06-25T18:21:00.001-04:00

right now i am swooning over these velvet plumcots. sometimes they go by pluots. either way they are my favorite of the whole plum/apricot hybrid family. some are more plummy some are more apricotty. these are just perfect. tiny. juicy. tart. sweet, plumcot perfection. they would lend themselves well to breakfast with some yogurt or cottage cheese drizzled with some raw local honey. or maybe grilled and caramelized and served over some ice cream with some crunchy chopped nuts and a drizzle of plum liqueur. or in a salad of mixed greens with goat cheese and slivered almonds and a light refreshing vinaigrette. you really can't go wrong when your ingredients are so sublime.

it was crazy hot this week in new york. but now the weather is just pure, gorgeous, summer. so lovely. happy summer weekend to you wherever you are. i could definitely get used to this. xo, g

apparently it is noodle week

2010-06-22T15:16:00.000-04:00

don't know why but i've been on a noodle craze. first it was vegetable-y soba with napa cabbage, tofu, bean sprouts, chard, and orange bell peppers, topped with dulse flakes (sea vegetable). and then i decided to get serious with some grilled pork ramen with shitakes, nori, scallions and napa cabbage. my kids slurped this up like it was the best thing they'd ever tasted. which i think it may actually have been, as they said they wanted it for their birthday meal next year. high praise indeed when it is good enough for the birthday.

there is a secret to this ramen dish, which i will now reveal to you. first go and read david chang's momofuku cookbook to get the right mindset, the mindset of a noodle master. and then go to your best local asian food store on the day they are unloading the freshly made ramen noodles and buy them up. fresh noodles are the whole secret. you could probably skip reading momofuku but it does help. the broth and the toppings are so simple you can't really mess them up. i totally winged it myself following no recipe. i made a dashi broth with kombu and bonita shavings and vegetables then added the soy and mirin to taste. and i marinated the some sliced pork tenderloin in soy sauce, mirin and rice vinegar for 30 minutes before grilling.

so go ahead and give this a try. your friends and family will be deeply appreciative, i promise. happy summer solstice to you, by the way. maybe it is the solstice and these ultra long days that is inspiring these long noodles. who can say, but i can tell you i would like to eat them all over again. yum.

First Farmer's Market Haul

2010-06-17T17:37:00.001-04:00

that most marvelous time of the year is here: farmer's market season. my local farmer's market opens in mid may, but they have mostly plants and cheese and eggs and that sort of thing until june. what really gets me excited is great organic produce, and it has just arrived, fresh, vibrant, and locally grown all the way up here in new england. sweet sugar snap peas, colorful kohlrabi, the best raspberries we've ever tasted. isn't life just delicious?

cherries!

2010-06-15T09:56:00.000-04:00

organic cherries from oregon are crazy delicious this year. juicy, sweet, firm, incredible. so incredible, i want to invent a new word to describe how amazing they taste.

during long winter months, as i try to imagine what summer tasted like, i sometimes day dream of what i will cook with these early stone fruits when summer finally arrives: maybe a classic clafoutis, or dorie greenspan's cherry rhubarb crumble or perhaps even jamie oliver's cherry rhubarb crumble with oats (i do love oats). someday i will try each of these recipes, but when cherry season is upon us, most years, the cherries are frankly too irresistibly sweet and delicious not to eat right now. calling us from the refrigerator as we wander down for breakfast. elevenses? perfect bright, fresh pick-me-up. simple pleasures are the best. and so this year, like most every year, with our deep appreciation for this amazingly dimunitive fruit, we are probably going eat them all before they can possibly be cooked into anything. in fact, right now i am planning to run right back out to the store to get some more, for lunch. cherries!

today i saw

2010-06-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

have you seen jill wignall's today i saw series? it is brilliant and simple and clever. see here. for one year jill has been drawing a postcard everyday of something she saw and has then sent it to someone she likes after first photographing the card and posting it on her blog. they are really lovely and charming. at the 1 year mark and conclusion of the project last week, she decided to celebrate by conducting a postcard swap. i signed up for the swap right away. it was fun to do. i've finished the postcard above, and am sending it off to my swap partner (arranged by jill) in melbourne, australia. exciting. love the idea of a group art project series. and frankly, it gives me a few ideas. and i just love ideas.

otherwise, lovely weekend planned here, low-key, awesome, summery fun. cheers and happy weekend! xo g

Swiss Chard Brown Rice Gratin

2010-06-09T15:08:00.000-04:00

martha rose shulman posted a recipe for a chard gratin recently in her recipes for health column in the nyt see here. this sounded so delicious that i found myself at the grocery store the very next day buying a large bunch or organic chard and a hunk of gruyere. i really love chard but have a hard time thinking up dishes for it the kids will enjoy as much as i do. this dish had the winning ticket. we all loved it. it was far tastier than i even imagined it would be in my wildest imaginings. something about the fresh vegetably texture of the chard contrasting with the chewy brown rice and the eggy cheesy fluffiness. i am telling you! this is a terrific example of a dish that achieves far more than the sum of its parts.

naturally, i altered the recipe. first, i was out of onions. although this never happens. in 15 years, it has happened maybe once before. so i used leeks and a shallot. as it turned out, i think the leeks are actually a better choice for this as i can't imagine it tasting any better. i also used two kinds of brown rice, aromatic wehani and plain, neither basmati, as ruth calls for. they were both long grain, but a bit chewier than basmati. the third thing i changed was the cheese. i doubled it (kids palate). and i also added a small amount of milk. feeling the dish would still hold together on account of the extra cheese. then i cooked the leeks, garlic, shallot, and chopped chard stalks, all together instead of separately, and for less time. i also wanted the gratin to brown a little less so i lowered the temperature slightly from ruth's instructions.

it all worked. i bet ruth's version is amazing also, though i may never know for sure, now that i've engineered this one..

swiss chard brown rice gratin

adapted from martha rose shulman, recipes for health, nyt

1 lb swiss chard

8 oz baby spinach

2 leeks

1 shallot

2 cloves garlic

1 cup already cooked long grain brown rice (i used a mix of wehani and brown, cooked it in a vegetable stock)

1 cup grated gruyere cheese

1/4 cup milk

3 large eggs, mixed

salt to taste

olive oil

first, preheat the oven to 350. next ready your gratin dish. wipe with a bit of olive oil along the bottom and up the sides. next set a medium large pot of water on the stove to boil.

wash and dissect the chard. by dissect i mean separate the leaves from the stalk. set the spineless leaves aside and finely chop the stalks. set aside. chop the leeks, shallot, and garlic. grate the cheese.

okay the water should be boiling now. add 2 teaspoons of salt. encourage the large chard leaves into the pot and push below the water surface with a wooden spoon. cook on high for 3 minutes. drain and remove. now the spinach. place it in the pot, submerse and remove right away, 10 seconds. empty the pot of water and return to stove. heat the pan on high until the water is evaporated, 30 seconds. add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the leek/shallot/garlic/chopped stem mixture. saute for a few minutes, maybe 4. until softened but still fresh looking. meanwhile chop the chard and the spinach. add the chard and spinach into the leek mixture. now add the brown rice. saute to blend all the flavors. salt and pepper to taste. add in the milk. also the cheese, add in the three eggs. pour the whole thing into your gratin pan, maybe sprinkle a bit of cheese on top, and place in the oven for 40 minutes. if you would like it to brown a bit more, raise the heat to 375. allow to cool for 5 minutes. devour with relish.

the brilliance of the wehani chewy rice bits in this gratin is something you have to taste to believe. almost like little bits of bacon. so flavorful. i have a feeling i am going to be making this all the time now, forever. to me it tastes just a vacation in the Mediterranean, delicious!

weather continues charming

2010-06-08T11:15:00.000-04:00

the weather windfall bonus continues. pictured are a few more shrubbery blooms from the yard. completely lovely.

work is keeping me busy today, but tomorrow will be mostly play. heading to meet a friend, one i've known for 30 years, in the city for lunch and a walkabout and maybe even a lilla p. sample sale. we still have so much fun together.

in other news, the beach was merveilleux yesterday, so much so that i am going to try to go back 3 more times this week for at least an hour or so. if i plan, it will have a chance of happening, no? so rare to find the time and have the weather, must celebrate the brief confluence of these disparate elements.

p.s. lilla p. is one of my favorite clothing designers, they've practically reinvented the tee shirt in a sophisticated, flattering, interesting, yet just-as-comfortable-as-ever sort of way. you might think this is not still possible in 2010, but it totally is. see here. remarkable quality. (and i am far too poor to afford things of low quality).

where much-hoped-for lovely weather arrives

2010-06-07T11:22:00.000-04:00

the wicked wacky weather of the weekend (vile humidity, tornado watches, flash floods, hail, violent thunderstorms) has brought in incredible, cool, refreshing, sunny skies with pleasing sea breezes. this is the kind of weather that i am always always always hoping for.

going to celebrate today by heading to the beach with daughter. it is a tiny beach on long island sound, just down the road from here. the town puts out some lovely adirondack chairs and just enough sand for 70 people to stretch out on. we will laze around and read and look at the water and shells and little crabs and the boats.

meanwhile, the rain and heat of last week have inoculated the garden with unimaginable vibrancy and it is now lush and incredibly green. alliums and shrubberies blooming all around. even the hydrangeas are beginning. i love the blossom color, green and cream with blue tips. i could stare at those broad saw-toothed leaves for an hour. hydrangeas really are one of my favorite flowers, i used them in my wedding bouquet way back when, and somehow i wind up planting a few at every house we live in, east coast or west. lovely hydrangeas, so sturdy and captivating, and not at all shy, with their complicated blossoms and fantastical foliage.

this week is looking very good. happy monday. xo, g

weekend simplicity

2010-06-05T12:27:00.000-04:00

lunch for 4 in about 4 minutes. fresh balsamic dressing, fresh mozzerella, flavorful kumato tomatoes, slivers of prosciutto, some heirloom lettuce for color and texture. smush together firmly, slice, serve.

nice party

2010-06-04T11:40:00.000-04:00

well, the party went great. the weather was fabulous. he was and is still thrilled with his ping pong table. we play every day now.

they guests thoroughly enjoyed their dinners. they ate organic sliders, (made with organic grass fed beef and organic brioche slider buns from whole foods), crudite, chips and dip, drank sparkling mineral water, and celebrated with ice cream cake. and then there were the activities which proved quite popular: plenty of water balloons, ping pong. wiffle ball, basketball, yo yos, paper air planes. such nice boys.

what i love about this gathering is not just that it made my sons dreams come true, but how simple it was to pull off. the most important ingredient for a successful party, it seems to me, is some really nice guests. it isn't really about the food after all.

this weekend we are buckling down, the kids are studying for finals, and SAT subject tests, and playing a lot of baseball, as it is now little league playoff season. but we are ready (i hope).

have a great weekend. xo, g

ping pong anyone?

2010-05-28T11:25:00.000-04:00

a certain 11 year-old, soon to be 12, had only one item on his birthday list this year. a ping pong table. i never even knew that ping pong tables came in a version called indoor/outdoor (despite playing on one for years during my childhood at the local swim and tennis club, weren't they usually made of plywood back then?) but they do, with high quality metal or composite surfaces, and they are awesome. this one is made by kettler and has wheels and folds up and makes its own backboard for single play, etc. we ordered it from a sports shop in the next town over.

so anyway, this was just delivered an hour ago. and our birthday boy doesn't know about it yet. he's having a party here at the house tomorrow, with, as he says, "his tightest buds." organic hamburgers, corn on the cob, and cold stone creamery ice cream cake are on the menu. we can drive to the beach down the road if the boys run out of things to do here. but i don't think they will. water balloon basketball, wiffle ball home run derby, and now ping pong. he's going to be so happy.

have yourself a great weekend, wherever you are. it's the official opening of the summer season in the northern hemisphere. enjoy! xo, g