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large patches of wild miner's lettuce

make buttery, tender, little salads

(rainy day harvest & conversation with deer)

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Soba Noodles with Bok Choy & Ginger

It's overcast and cold out today. Mom was baking her famous cookies for my brother's upcoming art show in Santa Barbara, and I got sucked into major pantry organization; consolidating bulk teas and grains and baking stuff, throwing old things out, and putting new things in jars. We were dancing to this and were both in the mood for something warm and delicious for lunch. I put together this simple pasta dish with buckwheat soba noodles, sprouted tofu, and bok choy.

Roughly chop 1/2 yellow onion. In a medium sized pot, heat 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger with 2 Tbsp sesame oil. After 1-2 minutes, add chopped onion. Turn heat to low and cover, remembering to stir occasionally. In a smaller pot, boil water for noodles. While onions are slowly cooking and water is heating, cut 1/2 package firm sprouted tofu into small cubes, and roughly chop 1-2 baby bok choy. Set aside. In small mixing bowl, combine 1 heaping tablespoon white miso paste, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp brown rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp mirin (rice cooking wine), 1-2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (depending on how spicy you like it), 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp soy sauce. When water is boiling, add 1 bundle (about 3.5 oz) soba noodles. Add tofu and bok choy to onion pot, give a good stir, and turn up the heat to med-high, leaving uncovered. When noodles are cooked through, strain and transfer them to vegetable pot, along with sauce mixture. Cook for another minute or two (until excess liquid evaporates and ingredients come together), then remove from heat and serve. Garnish with chopped toasted peanuts (I used pinenuts since I had no peanuts on hand and they were great), and/or chopped green onions. Serves 2.

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new beaded necklaces

(brass, bone, glass, leather)

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a pair of horses appeared out of nowhere

(our neighbors don't even have horses)

silhouettes camouflaged

against the night sky

appropriately, later that night

he drew the Horse card

from the deck

i stopped running

to collect fifty grey feathers;

they were scattered in piles

in the middle of the trail

some had blown into the grass.

the sun was quickly disappearing,

these were its parting gift

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((( ! )))

new website for my artwork

allisonriegel.com

(and a new moon)

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a common scene

 these days

the communal cutting board

i'd like to do a time lapse video

of its constant evolution

beauty in haphazard configurations

ps. on repeat

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leather bracelet

for Donald

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happy day of

l o v e

((( exude it give it spread it welcome it )))

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Buckwheat German Pancake

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Five or six years ago, German pancakes used to be an almost weekly staple in my breakfast routine. It's been awhile since the last time I've watched one magically puff up in the oven. But going along with the buckwheat theme, here is my new favorite version.

3 tablespoons buckwheat flour
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table or fine sea salt
1-2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1-2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
 

Heat oven to 400F. Whisk the flours, sugar, salt, milk and eggs together in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a 12-inch cast skillet, preferably cast iron but any heavy ovenproof skillet should work. Roll the butter around a bit so it goes up the sides. Pour in the batter and transfer skillet to the oven. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the pancake browns lightly at the edges and rumpled. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. You can add whatever you like to the top. (Today I topped with Straus plain yogurt, bananas, blueberries, and chopped raw almonds mixed with lemon zest and maple syrup.)

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Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Cumin-Orange Walnuts

Made this one up. I suppose it's fitting to make a dish with Jerusalem artichokes after my recent time spent in the beautiful ancient city. I love love the flavor of these delicious tubers.

Chop 8 large (16 small) Jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes) and 6 medium fingerling potatoes into fairly uniform-sized pieces (about 1/2" thick). Roughly chop one onion and mince 3 cloves garlic. Add 2 tsp each of: ground cumin, coriander & nutmeg to a large pot. Toast spices on medium for a few minutes. Add a few tablespoons olive oil and onion. Cover and cook on low-med heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sunchokes, potatoes, and garlic; stir & cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock to just above the level of the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat. Cover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes, until potatoes and sunchokes are tender. Remove from heat. In batches, transfer mixture to a blender and puree everything until smooth. Add pureed soup back to pot, keep on low heat. Add salt to taste and 3 leaves chopped kale or chard (optional). In small skillet, lightly toast 1/2 c chopped walnuts with 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp olive oil, & 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Transfer to small bowl and toss with the zest of one medium orange. Garnish soup with walnut-orange zest mixture.

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Gnocchi with Shiitakes, Kale & Parmigiano

Gnocchi is one of my favorite things to eat and it is surprisingly easy to make by hand. The only thing that takes a long time is baking the potatoes. I like to bake them ahead of time to have on hand for later that evening or the following day. 

 

For gnocchi: Bake 2 medium sized russet potatoes in foil for about an hour at 400F. Once cool, remove potato flesh from skins and place in large bowl. Using the tines of a fork, finely mash potatoes. Add about 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper and 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg. In a small bowl, beat one egg. Add to potato bowl and incorporate. Add 3/4-1 c all-purpose flour and gently incorporate using your hands until dough comes together. Dough should remain fluffy/pillowy. Turn dough onto flat surface & separate into quarters. Roll dough into long rolls about one inch in diameter. Working from one end to the other, chop 1/2" pieces to form individual gnocchi. (It's optional to roll each dumpling over the tines of a fork to create decorative ridges.) Scatter gnocchi evenly on baking sheet until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for the gnocchi). Chop one onion and add to a second large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Cook onions, covered, on low heat for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, slice about 2 1/2 c shiitake mushrooms, de-stem & chop 3 large leaves of kale, and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Once onions have slightly caramelized, add mushrooms & garlic. Turn up heat to medium-high. Cook with lid off, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms cook down a bit. Add kale to pot. Deglaze with a splash of sherry. Add salt to taste, a dash of champagne vinegar and about 1/4 c pinenuts. Remove from heat. Once pot of water is ready, add gnocchi (in 2-3 batches) to water. Gnocchi will float to surface of water when done cooking, so using a slotted spoon, gradually remove gnocchi from water and spoon directly into vegetable pot. Repeat until all gnocchi is cooked. Toss gnocchi with mushroom mixture & add a generous drizzle of olive oil. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.

 

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Romanesco with Purple Kale & Capers

This romanesco at Whole Foods was so gorgeous, I couldn't resist! Made this dish up to serve as an accompaniment to baked salmon. The only thing I could have added (didn't have on hand) was some plumped golden raisins.

Break apart one large head romanesco into small florets. Remove ribs from 4 kale leaves, and roughly chop kale. Chop one yellow onion. Put about 2 tsp dried chili flake in pot along with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Toast for 2 minutes, then add chopped onion. Cover pot with lid and allow onions to caramelize on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add romanesco and about 1/2 c water, replace lid and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Continue to cook (add a little more water if necessary to create steam) until romanesco is tender but still has slight crunchy bite. Add 2 Tbsp capers, 2 cloves minced garlic and chopped kale, cook a few more minutes, until kale is wilted. Deglaze pan with a drizzle of champagne vinegar. Remove from heat & finish with zest of one lemon, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 c raw pinenuts, and salt to taste.

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in any case,

and in all cases

the only thing to do

is free oneself

from internal distortions

and external addictions 

(timothy leary)

 

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bejeweled & adorned

she moves effusively

into the new year

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it's coming,

tonight...

and with it

comes

pretty spiraling

thoughts

of cozy summer air,

illuminated

backdrops

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total accidental placement
&
later realization
of correlating rays

(funny ways of the subconscious)

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dream pillow

with lavender, hops & chamomile

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today,

Dad stumbled upon Mom's

written project for her

Master's at CSUS

in September of 1980,

when Dad was Mom's

art advisor

(( the beginning ))

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made these little morsels

for breakfast

this morning

(with fried eggs and bacon)

Potato-Parsnip Latkes
with Horseradish and Dill


(from Smitten Kitchen)


recipe follows

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this cake

is not the most gorgeous

(nor the most decadent)

but it is so satisfying and delicious

(( going along with my recent buckwheat obsession ))

Breton Buckwheat Cake
with Fleur de Sel


(from 101 Cookbooks, originally written by David Lebovitz
in The Sweet Life in Paris)

For the cake:

7/8 c buckwheat flour

1 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp plus 1/3 tsp fleur de sel

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temp

1 c sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 large egg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp dark rum

For the glaze:

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp milk

Butter a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch springform cake pan. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, whisk together the buckwheat and all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cinnamon. (I added 1 tsp ground cardamom as well.) In the bowl of a standing mixer or by hand, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue the beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg yolks and whole egg with the vanilla and rum (I used bourbon instead) with a fork, then gradually dribble the egg mixture into the batter while beating. If using an electric mixer, beat on high speed so the butter gets really airy. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top as flat as possible with an offset metal or plastic spatula. Make a glaze by stirring the single yolk and milk together with a fork, then brush it generously all over the top. (You may not use it all, but use most of it.) Take a fork and rake it across the top in three parallel lines, evenly spaced; then repeat starting from a slightly different angle to make a criss-cross pattern. Crumble the remaining 1/3 tsp salt over the gateau with our fingers and bake for 45 minutes. Don't over-bake or it will be on the dry side - start checking after 35 minutes or so. Let cool completely before unmolding.

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1 morning

4 Riegels

4 breakfasts

persimmons/raw cashews/maca/banana/goji berries/bee pollen/cinnamon

buckwheat/walnuts/ghee/maple syrup/salt/poached egg

fried eggs/toast/roasted potatoes with onions, garlic, chili

flax cereal/plain Straus yogurt/toast

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<<< new necklace >>>

gold chain

red, turquoise, peach

vintage sequins

(soon on etsy)

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crocheted beanie

for our family handmade

gift exchange

p.s. can't get enough

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teardrop earrings

with vintage sequins

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gold wire & vintage sequin neckpiece

p.s. cannot stop dancing to this.

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large beaded necklace

for Mere's 30th

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still reeling

from a marvelous weekend

beneath the full moon

reveling in each others' company

(& using every piece of dishware in the house)

<<< >>>

Friday >> fresh crab >> butter lettuce salad with beets & pinenuts >>

quinoa >> manchego & quince >> Manhattans

Saturday >> chard & carmelized onion quiche >> raw kale salad >> roasted kabocha squash >> negronis >> 

chicken liver mousse with balsamic glazed shallots >> braised lamb shanks with roasted parsnips & carrots >>

creamy polenta with sage brown butter and parmigiano

Sunday >> buttermilk currant scones with crème fraîche >> frittata with brussels sprouts, onions, sweet potato >> bacon >> autumn gimlets >> bucatini al ragù >> butter lettuce with tahini poppyseed dressing, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds >>

roasted scarlet turnips, chioggia beets, brussels sprouts, onions >> apple crisp with Straus vanilla bean ice cream

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my new favorite

thing to look forward to

in the mornings:

buckwheat with creme fraiche, maple syrup,

a fried egg & bacon

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i had a taste of mushroom soup

a couple of nights ago

after my shift at Hawks

which inspired me to create this mushroom soup,

recipe compliments of Matt Gandin

during my days at Delfina

not to mention the myriad of funghi

popping up all over the woods here

the past week or two

'tis the season.

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leather/canvas sketchbook & pen holster

for Jess

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new paintings & journals

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for Dad's 65th

birthday spaghetti with eggplant & chanterelles >> 

boil salted water in medium sized pot. in another larger pot, add 2 tsp dried chili flake & 2 tsp ground nutmeg. toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil & one roughly chopped yellow onion. cover with lid and cook on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add 1 small eggplant (diced) & 3 cloves minced garlic and continue cook for 5 minutes. add 3/4 package spaghetti to boiling water (i use Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta). to eggplant mixture, add about 3/4 lb sliced chanterelles, remove lid and cook for a few minutes (allow mushrooms to release their moisture and cook down). add a splash of sherry to deglaze pan, followed by a few tablespoons cream. when pasta is almost al dente, remove it from boiling water and transfer to large pot with other ingredients (along with a splash of pasta water). allow liquid to cook off, and remove from heat. add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1/4 c pinenuts, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, & salt to taste. toss well and serve. serves 4.

birthday chiffon cake with cardamom-vanilla bean syrup and dark chocolate frosting >> 

i recently made Tartine's Basic Chiffon Cake recipe as a cake base for their Fromage Blanc Bavarian. however, the Bavarian recipe called for only 1/3 of the chiffon. i thoroughly wrapped the remainder of the cake and froze it for future use.

i removed it to defrost the morning i created this cake.

in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c water, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 vanilla bean (pod and beans). heat over low until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. using a pastry brush, moisten the entire top surface of the chiffon cake evenly with the syrup. in a new saucepan, combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c heavy cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. add 2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% cacao unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces. stir until melted. pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. refrigerate frosting for at least 40 minutes, and once thicker, frost top and sides of cake. serve with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.

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small pillow made from

worn silk kimono,

my aunt's old

belly dancing costume

& black velvet