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very excited about

the newest addition to my bedroom

&

f l o w i n g

saturday mornings

>>>

overcast skies

family

farmer's market

yard sales

fireside lunch by the creek

 

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Jess's Coconut Pudding

This has become my new favorite snack, thanks to Jess's love of coconuts and

nut-rich raw food diet. It's silky and rich in texture, naturally sweet and filling. You can experiment with adding a bit of ground nutmeg or cinnamon or cardamom, or using vanilla extract if you don't have a vanilla bean on hand. I also like to put half aside and blend the remaining half with a little cocoa powder and/or cocoa nibs. It's also delicious to blend about 1/2 cup with about 1 cup brewed green tea for a frothy, nutty hot tea drink. Really, it's wonderful as is; but the pudding can easily act as a base for which to add other flavors.

1 young Thai coconut (water and flesh)

1/2 c soaked raw cashews

1/2 c soaked raw almonds

1/2 vanilla bean (or about a 2 inch piece)

water to cover nuts and bean

At least 30 minutes ahead of time, soak cashews and almonds in water (just enough to cover nuts) in a small bowl. Boil a little bit of water. Place vanilla bean pod in another small bowl and pour about 1/4 c boiling water over it. Allow to steep for about 5 minutes and then slice open and scrape beans into water. Once nuts are soaked, crack open coconut and pour all the water into blender. Scrape coconut flesh out and place in blender. Add the nuts and their water. Discard vanilla bean pod and add water with scrapings to blender. Blend until very smooth. Keep refrigerated.

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 Saturday Spring Onion Soup

<< for two >> 

Although I'm still thrilled with our bountiful garden greens, a break from lunchtime salads is welcomed every now and then. Threw together this spring onion soup today. It's super quick to make and has a subtle onion spice that awakens the tastebuds. Next time I'll toast some fennel seed in place of oregano. Some toasted walnuts would be a nice substitute for the bacon as well. I didn't feel this soup needed any cream--the texture and flavor was wonderfully rich on its own; however a little creme fraiche never hurt a thing...

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 stalks green garlic, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

4 medium spring onions, roughly chopped

1 yukon gold potato, chopped into 1/2" wide chunks

1 stalk celery, medium dice

1 c water

salt to taste

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 slice bacon, chopped

fresh parsley & chives for garnish

1 Tbsp Arbequina olive oil

In a saucepan, saute garlic and oregano in olive oil on medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Add onions. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add potatoes and celery. Add water (should just reach the level of vegetables) and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Transfer pot's ingredients to blender. Puree until smooth and transfer back to saucepan. Add salt and pepper. Cook bacon in skillet until browned. Serve soup and garnish with bacon, fresh herbs, and drizzle of flavorful olive oil.

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'tis the season

for pink concoctions?

first time pickling my own onions

i had always heard it was simple

but had no idea it was THIS simple

((( so incredibly rewarding )))

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morning preserves

(i could easily make this a weekly ritual)

early summer's lovely plethora

of strawberries and rhubarb

<<<>>>

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Obviously still half asleep this morning, I attempted to follow this recipe. After stirring the pot for a couple of minutes, I quickly realized I had accidentally added the strawberries too soon. It was an irreversible error! I left the strawberries to cook alongside the rhubarb, in hopes of salvaging my fruit mixture. Because of the juice released from the strawberries, I needed to simmer the compote for longer than necessary to bring it to my desired thickness. After about 30 minutes of simmering, the "compote" turned more into a preserves; uniform in texture and rich in flavor. I dolloped spoonfuls of preserves, tart & silky, atop my toast with butter...and my morning was complete.

 

2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup strawberries, quartered

Put the rhubarb, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring as needed, until the rhubarb softens and begins to break down. If you want a thicker mixture, keep cooking until it reaches your desired consistency. Take the pot off the heat, add the strawberries, and stir to combine. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until chilled.

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Dad and I spent the afternoon

 in the thick of the blackberry vines

on the opposite side of the creek

long sleeves and gloves

our only armor

harvesting 5 foot stalks of hearty

wild nettles

of which i had to make

one of my favorite simple dishes;

pasta with pureed fresh nettle sauce,

pinenuts, parmigiano

(and the outside light is golden right now,

hitting tree leaves sideways,

cool air drops into our little valley,

and three spots on my skin tingle;

incessant reminders of today's work)

 

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<< ! >>

summer

has

arrived

Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream

What primes your tastebuds for summer more than a plate of strawberry shortcake?! This recipe is from Michelle Polzine from Range in San Francisco. I made this same one a long time ago, and I realized a lovely strawberry shortcake was much overdue. Berries from local strawberry stands are so juicy and sweet and absolutely perfect--the only berries from which to make this dessert. I love the lemon cream here as well; by folding a small amount of lemon curd into a batch of whipped cream, the cream is fluffy and has just the perfect amount of rich lemon vibrancy. Next time I use this recipe, I want to experiment with the shortcakes themselves; using a combination of other flours, adding perhaps some cardamom and definitely a little vanilla extract, and maybe even some finely crushed walnuts or pecans into the dough.

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<<< so much gratitude for this place >>>

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Lemon Pudding Cakes

I happened to see this recipe in Real Simple magazine and decided to give it a try. I was so pleasantly surprised by the end result. It's a lovely combination textures. The bottom is a silky lemony custard/pudding, and the upper half is a fluffy, souffle-esque cake, all topped with browned crunchy turbinado sugar crystals. Yum! A few things I look forward to changing next time: First of all, the addition of a crushed blackberry sauce with summer's ripest fruit would take this little cup to another level. I also want to try using less sugar in the recipe (I think it would be equally as good with less), and possibly substituting honey for some of the sugar. An addition of fresh thyme to the mixture before baking would finish this into perfection.

3/4 c sugar

1/3 c all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, separated

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

1 c whole milk

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/3 c fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp turbinado or other coarse sugar

Heat oven to 350F. Place six 4-ounce ramekins (I used small oven-proof mugs) or a 2-quart baking dish inside a large roasting pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour; set aside. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and butter until combined. Whisk in the milk, lemon zest and juice. Add the lemon mixture to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt on medium-high until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. In three additions, gently fold the egg whites into the lemon-sugar mixture. Divide the pudding mixture among the ramekins or pour into the baking dish. Dividing evenly, sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. To the roasting pan, add just enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins or baking dish. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 40-45 minutes for cakes in ramekins and 30-35 minutes for a cake in a baking dish. Serves 6.

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walking outside barefoot

collecting greens from the garden

 lupine and lavender in my room

(( invigorated by the season ))

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 <<<  SPRING  >>>

has truly arrived

!

and there is no time to waste

to soak it up in its entirety

afternoon absorption of vitamin D,

fresh batch of pu-erh kombucha,

Kinfolk and Hemingway

fresh garden mizuna & parsley,

roasted parsnips, brown rice, avocado,

toasted pumpkin seeds,

lemon, olive oil

(tomorrow, a bottle of Champagne?)

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four hours of marmalade-making

new pages read creekside

<< it's all temporary >>

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rituals

perfect coffee

in the city

(( newfound appreciation of simple pleasures ))

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new play

>>>

gouache and collage

on paper

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angel cards for Soph

0 4 . 0 9 . 1 2

(( in love with these colors ))

crocheted beanie

for Max

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Spring has finally sprung and with it came my dear Sarah Jane for a visit from the city. This of course called for the debut of the B-Line (since I recently stocked up on my fresh bergamot juice). The first batch was not quite right. Bergamot juice (especially this particular bergamot) is extremely strong in flavor and can be a bit too astringent/bitter unless balanced by the appropriate amount of sweetness/depth. After a few tweaks to the original recipe I was quite pleased with the outcome. I used rye, but I think bourbon would be great in it as well. Due to the sweeter nature of bourbon, I'd add a little less honey syrup. New recipe is as follows:

1/2 mandarin, muddled, plus juice

2 oz rye whiskey

1 oz honey simple syrup *

1/2 oz fresh bergamot juice

1 oz Lillet Blanc

dash orange bitters

* I made a batch of honey syrup

by dissolving 2 oz honey into 2 oz water

over medium heat and then pouring

into a jar for storage

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 a

most wonderful

item

has found its way

into my life

  

((( divine orange cashmere )))

soft fabrics

 +

rich colors

+

classic pieces

+

know what you love 

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breathtaking gems

of the woods

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full-spectrum post-rain sky drama

florescent green mossy rock carpets

Hansel > < Sylvie

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(( in love ))

with these works by

Zander Olsen

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chocolate stout bundt cake

with cocoa-buttermilk icing

(recipe from Heidi Swanson)

for the cake:

2 c chocolate porter or stout beer
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder (non-dutched)
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c muscovado or dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c plain whole yogurt
3/4 c pure maple syrup

for the icing:

3/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 c natural cocoa powder (non-dutched)
2 Tbsp buttermilk

flaky sea salt, to serve

Preheat oven to 350F, with a rack in the center. Butter and flour (generously) a 11 or 12-cup capacity bundt pan (or equivalent). You can bake this in other cake pans, just be mindful to avoid filling the pan(s) more than 2/3 - 3/4 full. Adjust the baking time as well - baking until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the center tests clean when you insert a knife. In a saucepan simmer the beer down to 1 cup. Remove from heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Stir in the cocoa powder, mixing until smooth, then set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to let off heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, and maple syrup. Whisk well, until nicely blended and uniform in appearance. Gradually add the (cooled) stout mixture, stirring all the while. Stir until well blended. Add the flour mixture, folding until just blended, using as few strokes as possible. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 35 - 45 minutes if using the bundt pan, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. You really don't want to over bake this cake - err on the slightly moist side if anything. Remove from the oven, and turn out onto a cooling rack after seven minutes. In the meantime, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, cocoa, and buttermilk. Really go at it for at least a minute. The icing should end up smooth and creamy looking, adjust with a touch of powdered sugar or a few extra drops of buttermilk if you want to tweak the consistency at all. When the cake is completely cool, run the icing around the top with an offset spatula and let it set. Serve sprinkled with a bit of flaky sea salt. But don't sprinkle with flakes of salt until ready to serve, or you'll end up with little divots.

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aut(i)obiography volume three

and

can't seem to get enough of

bill withers lately,

especially
((( this )))

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Bucatini alla Carbonara

 <<<  for one  >>>

A friend of mine recently made me pasta alla carbonara. It instantly transported me back to Italy last summer, where I wilted with pleasure from my first experiences of this dish. I never realized it was so rich, so indulgent; the perfect combination of breakfast, lunch and dinner. And for anyone with an egg obsession such as I, it's a must-have. Of course I had to make it for myself. I adapted this recipe from Mario Batali.

1 serving Rustichella d'Abruzzo bucatini noodles (or other long noodles)

1/4 c pasta water (after cooking noodles)

1 slice bacon

1/4 c parmigiano reggiano, grated

about 2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 beautiful egg, separated

Boil a pot of salted water. Cook noodles. Cook bacon in skillet. Remove bacon and chop, leaving pan with bacon fat on stove. When pasta is cooked, add to bacon-pan with pasta water and cook on med-high for a few minutes while liquid reduces. Remove from heat. Add parmigiano, chopped bacon, pepper, and egg white. Toss. Plate pasta and top with egg yolk and more black pepper. (Mix yolk into dish right before eating.) No salt necessary in my opinion; the bacon and parmigiano do the trick.

 

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yesterday was a very exciting day.

i have been on the lookout

for fresh bergamot

for a couple of years now.

i always seem to just miss

its short growing season.

but this year is different. i bought $25 of bergamot

at BiRite market in San Francisco,

juiced it all, & froze it in ice cubes trays

so i can have it on hand

(especially when summer strikes)

for this uniquely delicious cocktail...

THE B-LINE

(recipe courtesy of Ken at Range)

Place a chunk of orange in a glass (about 1/2 of a slice). Muddle.
Add a splash of orange bitters, 1/2 oz honey syrup (made by reducing 50% water & 50% honey), 1 oz bergamot juice, 1 1/2 oz bourbon, and 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc.
Shake and serve up.

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 thoughts of

special places

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rain spells

leisurely mornings

spent in an overstuffed leather chair

all-day fires

and tried-and-true,

Marno's Chicken Noodle Soup

from The New Basics Cookbook

1 chicken (4 lbs), preferably a stewing hen

2 onions, halved

4 whole cloves (I like more, around 10)

4 ribs of celery, with leaves

4 carrots, peeled

3 parsnips, peeled

3 cloves of garlic

6 sprigs dill

6 sprigs parsley

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 quarts water

1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)

Marno's Noodles (recipe to follow)

1 1/2 cups fresh English peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Rinse the chicken well and place it in a large soup pot.  Stud each onion half with clove, and add them to the pot along with the celery, carrots, parsnips, garlic, sprigs of dill and parsley, and salt and pepper.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.  Occasionally skim off any foam that forms on top. Remove the chicken from the soup and allow it to cool.  Remove the skin and bones, and shred the meat.  Reserve the meat, covered, in the refrigerator. Strain the soup, discarding the vegetables, and return the liquid to the pot.  Add the bouillon cube (for stronger flavor) and adjust the seasonings.  Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes (to intensify the flavor). Set aside. Make the noodles. Before serving, bring the chicken broth to a gentle boil.  Add the noodles and cook until they are tender, 4 minutes.  Gently stir in the reserved chicken and the peas, chopped dill, and chopped parsley.  Heat through and serve. Yields 8 servings.

Marno's Noodles

(I like to double the noodle recipe)

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

(I add 1 tsp ground nutmeg)

Beat the egg and salt together in a bowl.  Mix the flour in with a fork.  Using your hands, form the mixture into a ball and knead it to form the dough. Dust a work surface with flour, and roll the dough out to form a very thin rectangle approximately 18x9 inches. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll the dough up in jelly-roll fashion, along the long side, to form an 18-inch long roll. Slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide rings. Carefully shake out the rings to form long noodles, and let them rest on a baking sheet for 10 minutes before adding to the soup.

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such pleasure

richness

sweetness

in this one seemingly simple pot

Baked Beans

from Diner Journal Issue #9, Fall 2008,

based on Jasper White's recipe for baked beans

This was a really easy recipe but was a bit of a time commitment.

After boiling on stove, I put pot in oven for a good 2 1/2 hours. Totally worth it.

1 lb navy beans, soaked overnight

1 onion, small dice

4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 Tbsp tomato paste

3 Tbsp Coleman's dry mustard

2 bay leaves

1/3 c maple syrup

1/3 c molasses

1/4 c vinegar (i used red wine vinegar)

6 oz salt pork, thinly sliced (bacon if you can't find salt pork)

salt to taste

Sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until they start to sweat. Add the tomato paste and cook until the onions often and the tomato paste has cooked a little. Add the mustard, bay, maple syrup, molasses, and vinegar. Add the beans and cover with water, bring everything to a boil and then place the salt pork on top of the pot, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake beans at 300F until tender. This will probably take a long time as beans don't cook very well in acidic liquids. Keep checking beans and adding water as necessary. When beans are cooked season with salt and then let go a little longer until they are truly tender.