Tag - I'm It

I've been enjoying a blog called once in a blue moon written by Jain, who lives somewhere in northern California. The photographs of her home and property are gorgeous. She has great recipes and funny stories too. Today she tagged me in a blogger chain, where I'm supposed to tell you 6 random things about my self, then pass it on to six more bloggers. Being the least computer-savvy person you'll ever meet (if you were to meet me), I hope I'm doing this right...

Here are the rules:

Rule #1 ~ Link to the person that tagged you.

Rule #2 ~ Post the rules on your Blog.

Rule #3 ~ Write 6 random things about yourself.

Rule #4 ~ Tag 6 people at the end of your post.

Rule #5 ~ Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog.

Rule #6 ~ Let the tagger know your entry is up.


Hey look! I can copy and paste! Ok...about me -


1. My desk is very messy.


2. I am extremely punctual.


3. I think exercise is boring, but I do it anyway.


4. I would like to be a race car driver.


5. I am a distant cousin of Harry Houdini.


6. I have a huge collection of cookbooks and I'd still rather go out to eat.


These are pretty random. There are many other things to know about me, but these six appeal to the broadest audience without offending anyone. If you would like the uncensored version, here's what you should do:

Subscribe to Mignardise, by putting your email in the box to the left.
Send a comment telling me you have done so. Click  "comments" at the end of this post and a form will appear. Include your email.
I will reply with 6 more random, much more interesting things about myself.


Being fairly new to the blogging community, I don't know a lot of other bloggers, or I should say, they don't know me. I subscribe to a number of other  blogs that I find entertaining (see column at left), so I feel like I know these ladies, at least their on-line personas. I also read many others that I find on Tastespotting. So to those on my blog list, I say TAG - you're it! Thanks for playing along...

Erin at Type A Diversions

Elle at Elle's New England Kitchen

Marilyn at Simmer Till Done

Kellypea at Sass & Veracity

Renee at Almost Foodies

Rechelle at The Country Doctor's Wife

Snow Flower and the Cashew Chicken

For December, our book group read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Aside from the less-than-inspiring title, we all agreed it was excellent. It's astounding to read about how women were treated in China hundreds of years ago. (And we have that same sense of astonishment when we hear about how women are treated in many parts of the world today.)
In China, girls were considered "worthless branches on the family tree...raised by one family for another." Their feet were bound, essentially crippling them, to make them more beautiful to their future husbands. (I'm sure the pain I feel in my ski boots is nothing like this.)
Even after marriage, girls lived with their natal family, until giving birth to their own first child. They pray for a son, as "sons are the foundation of a woman's self...they give a woman her identity as well as dignity." (Yes, in some circles I am known only as "Jack's mom".)
It's a wonderful story of friendship, and the misunderstandings that sometimes occur even among the closest of friends. It's about the strength of women in adversity and the clarity that comes with old age.
In honor of Snow Flower and her friend Lily, here's my recipe for Cashew Chicken, a favorite with boys and girls, equally.

Cashew Chicken adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

8 scallions, white and green parts separated,
each cut into 1" pieces

2 Tbsps. rice vinegar

3 Tbsps. hoisin sauce

3/4 cup raw cashews, toasted

1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season lightly with salt and pepper.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned on all sides.  Transfer to a plate.

3. Add remaining oil to pan. When heated, add remaining chicken, along with the garlic and white parts of scallions. Cook, tossing often, until chicken is browned. Return first batch of chickn to the pan. Add vinegar, cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.

4.Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water, tossing until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens and cashews. Serve immediately, over rice, if desired.

I often serve this with sauteed snap peas. Stir fry them in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. When they start to turn bright green and brown around the edges, drizzle with a tablespoon each of sesame oil and soy sauce.

Birthday Sushi , with Cake

If you have a child whose birthday is during the holiday season, you know this can be a mixed blessing. My youngest, the Bonus Baby, was born nine years ago on December 23.  While in labor, I breathlessly told my husband where all the gifts and stocking stuffers were hidden, just in case something happened to me. Nothing happened (well nothing too serious) and we came home on Christmas day. My other two children weren't happy about waiting to open presents until we arrived with their baby sister. To them, she was not the joyous gift we believe her to be.

So now, in the midst of holiday baking and shopping, I must come to a screeching halt and wrap my head around the Birthday Party. Party planning, favor creating, cake decorating, invitation making. One evening in early December, while we were eating at our favorite local dining spot, a stroke of genius hit me in the head  ( although it may have been a snowball). Have the party here! At Chopstick! Why not? It's practically a home away from home for us and the people who own it and work there couldn't be nicer. The Bonus Baby agreed it would be a great idea,  Mr. Ma agreed and so the sushi party was on.

 

   

 

  

The girls rolled their own with Mr. Ma's help. They also had edamame, miso soup and spring rolls.

It was a smashing success! And the Bonus Baby's favorite gift? Ironically, it's a live goldfish...

And here's the cake I made, decorated to look like a giant California roll. I am pretty proud of myself and the Bonus Baby declared it "awesome". Mission accomplished.

 

 

Italian Lessons

Last week, I got a taste of what it's like to eat a sane, healthy and delicious diet. I was lucky enough to snag a spot in one of Stephen Lanzalotta's cooking classes in Portland.

Stephen is the author of The Diet Code. He used to own Sophia's on Market Street, but now he works out of Micucci's, the Italian grocer on India Street. He bakes and sells the lightest, most flavorful bread I have ever tasted. It's the opposite of all the crusty baguettes and dense whole grain loaves we're all used to. This is something completely different - soft and chewy, even pillowy. You could take a nap on a pile of this bread (try that on a baguette!). Head to the back left corner of Micucci's where Stephen bakes these and other items (pizza, cookies). Go early in the day - they sell out quickly. Take home your demi-lune (half moon shape) and pour yourself a small dish of olive oil for dipping, and maybe a glass of wine. You think maybe you should have bought two. You don't want to share. You think about signing up for one of his classes.



Not only will you learn how to prepare a meal, you'll learn some history of Italian food before there was tomatoes and pizza. Completely fascinating. Why didn't they teach this in college?
Stephen had already prepared the Melanzana Agrodolce, or Sweet and Sour Eggplant. Thinly sliced and grilled eggplant, sweet with a bit of honey, tangy from two types of vinegar. Squisito, as they say in Italy.

The next course was a buckwheat crepe (crespelle), filled with chicken and a bechamel sauce made with fontina. Served along side was a puree of turnip and pear as well as sauteed turnip greens. No red sauce, no garlic, yet utterly Italian in origin and concept. This is the Italian food of the Middle Ages, carefully balanced, healthful and light. Stephen's book can give you a full explanation of why we should be eating this way today and how to do it.



Italians are not keen on very sweet desserts, like we are. We took turns cooking our own crepes, swirling the thin batter around the pan and attempting to flip it gracefully (or not). The crespelle were then filled with almond ricotta cream and topped with a simple blackberry sauce. It was a fitting end to the meal.
In the middle of a very busy season, it was a joy to sit quietly in Stephen's class and learn about good food. There was no candy canes, no marshmallows, nothing dipped in chocolate. It was simply a delicious few hours. I can't wait to do it again.

Don't Wait - Bake!

Friends, it was almost two days without power and I've come to a new and scary realization. I am addicted to the internet. To my email, Facebook, food blog surfing, shopping on line, Tastespotting, and to blogging. There's a lesson in all this. I've been wanting to share a couple of things with you, but I WAITED TOO LONG and the lights went out. Metaphorical? You decide. But don't wait too long.
Anyway, the power's back, I'm back. Earlier this week, before the storm, I cooked up some really decadent brownies. If you don't like fruit with your chocolate, like some people I know (Bob), these won't be for you. If you are willing to go beyond the basic brownie and think of this as a holiday sort of brownie, I think you'll be very glad you made them. Rich and fudgy, festive with the cranberries and pistachios, they're easy and quick to make. Find the recipe from Bon Appetit here.

Orange-Scented Brownies with Cranberries, Pistachios and Ginger

Our neighborhood cookie exchange is coming up this week. I'm not sure what I'll be making yet. It could be an old favorite like Cranberry-Coconut Macaroons. Or I might try something different, say a biscotti or a chocolate-dipped shortbread. Whatever I decide, I'll be sure to let you know. There are some things you shouldn't put off.

48 Meals

I could provide you with some Christmas cookie recipes or some holiday decorating tips in this space. That would be the seasonally appropriate thing to do. There are many cookie recipes on my mind and at some point soon, I will share them. But right now, I am focused on the 48 meals that still have to be dished up between now and Christmas day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for the next 16 days. Unfortunately, they can't be ignored. They're not festive. They're not fun. They're just like any another day of the year.
Breakfast is easy. You know the drill - cereal, toast, yogurt, fruit and of course coffee.
Lunch, not too hard, especially when you're on your own - a salad, a sandwich, a cup of soup. Make the kids buy school lunch.
Dinner, that's another story. Every day those kids are going to ask the same damn question, "what's for dinner, Mom?". You better have a good answer. Some days you can get away with take out pizza or mac and cheese or maybe "breakfast for dinner". But some days you are going to have to come up with a real home-cooked meal, even when you've been up to your elbows all day in baking or wrapping or shopping or addressing cards or decorating or crafting or whatever it is you do.

Tonight I'll be making my kids' favorite, purely out of guilt. What else have I made them this week? To be honest, nothing. And there's lots more of that to come, so tonight it's...

Chicken Broccolini Pasta

1 lb. pasta

2 bunches brocollini, ends trimmed, cut into 1" pieces
(if you can't find broccolini, use broccoli or broccoli rabe)

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

3 Tbsp. EVOO

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta to al dente. Remove pasta with a strainer, saving all the water in the pot. Set pasta aside.
2. Return water to boil. Blanch broccolini for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. On a large plate, dredge chicken pieces lightly in flour. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil in large saute pan. Add chicken, being careful not to crowd the pieces. You might have to do it in two batches. Cook until browned on all sides.
5. Add garlic and broccolini to pan with chicken. Toss to combine.
6. Add wine, broth and butter, stir and let simmer 3-4 minutes. If it looks dry, add a bit more liquid.
7. Add cooked pasta, stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve with additional cheese, if desired.

One more dinner down, 15 to go.

Lagniappe

Just when you were getting the hang of saying "mignardise", I'd like to introduce you to another word that's hard to say and even harder to spell. Lagniappe - say "lahn-yahp". A lagniappe is a little something extra that you didn't expect, in a good way. For instance, when you put your plain bagels in a bag with the onion bagels and you get just a few bits of the dried onion on your plain bagel.Those tiny onion bits are your lagniappe. Or when you have homemade lemonade, and the sugar falls to the bottom. Then when you're finished you have all this lemony sugar goodness to enjoy as a lagniappe. Free samples at the makeup counter are also a nice lagniappe.

At our house, we have pie lagniappe. When Bob makes the pies for Thanksgiving, he makes us a special  treat from the dough trimmings. We call it rugelach, because it's kind of like the Jewish pastry made with cream cheese dough and rolled up. We really only have the rolling up thing in common, and the fact that they're both tender and delicious.There's hardly ever enough to go around. Sometimes we eat them all before any company arrives. Sometimes we lie and tell the guests that Bob didn't make them at all this year  - so sorry.

Extra pie dough gets rolled into a rectangle and brushed with butter.

 

Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and maybe some nuts, if you like them (I do).

 

Roll up the dough, on the long side of the rectangle.
 

Slice it up, and put the pieces on a baking sheet.
 

Bake until edges are golden, at 350.

  

Yum. Pseudo-rugelach, a Thanksgiving lagniappe.

Thanksgiving Report Card

Table setting: A
Good use of elements found in the home; pear place cards show imagination, though not re-usable.
Demonstrates respect for tradition with pineapple turkey.



Turkey: B+
While moist and flavorful, turkey was slightly salty. Please review dry-brine method before next exam.

Gravy: A-
Excellent flavor and consistency, but again slightly salty. Good use of homemade turkey stock.

Brussels sprouts: A
Not overcooked, not undercooked. Caramelized shallots a nice touch.

Squash: A
Excellent. Sweetened with maple syrup.

Stuffing: B
Good ingredients, good effort. Lots of mushrooms. A little overcooked, probably due to lack of experiencewith convection oven. Read instructions more carefully.

Mashed potatoes: A-
Great rookie effort by Jack. Nice use of crockpot to keep them warm.

Green bean casserole: B
Traditional taste, but not hot enough. Could be slimmed down in the future.

Apple pie: A
Pumpkin pie: A
Terrific crust, delicious fillings. Excellent effort by Bob.

Decorum: B
A little rowdy at kids' table. Adults, please brush up on conversational topics. Nice display of manners by all.

Hope you all had an A+ Thanksgiving!

Going Bananas

It feels like the perfect day to make turkey stock to use as a base for my Thanksgiving gravy. The wind is howling outside, but I have a nice fire going in the kitchen fireplace. And my dog Cricket is keeping me company. Yes, I should be making stock, but I'm not. I'm making banana coffee cake, for two reasons: I have lots of overripe bananas and I need something to serve my house guests on Friday morning, besides leftovers. This particular coffee cake is one I make a lot. It's good for people (me) who like some texture in their cakes, because it has nuts and chocolate chips. Sure my last post was about peanut butter and chocolate, but I think banana and chocolate is a divine combination too.
A long time ago, back in the early 80's, Ben & Jerry's made an ice cream called Chunky Monkey that's different than the Chunky Monkey they sell now. As I remember it, it was banana ice cream with big chunks of chocolate and maybe some almonds. I wish they would bring the original back - and Dastardly Mash too, while we're at it.
Ok that's a little off subject...I'm back now. That happens sometimes. Here's the recipe for the cake I made earlier today, adapted from one I found on Epicurious:

Banana Coffeecake with Chocolate Chip Streusel

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8 x 8 baking pan. In a small bowl, combine
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 sp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Using electric mixer, beat
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (room temp.)
1 egg
in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in
3 large, very ripe, mashed bananas
3 Tbsps. buttermilk
Add dry ingredients and blend well.
Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter, then streusel. Bake 45 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean.


In a little while, I'm going to put another log on the fire and make Lots-of-Ways Banana Cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours book. Then I'll probably get some Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I suddenly have this craving...

Just Get to Dessert Already

If turkey and pumpkin pie are so important, then why is November National Peanut Butter Lovers Month? Maybe it's a hint that for your Thanksgiving dessert you should consider more than pecans and pumpkins. Why not peanut butter? It starts with a "p". It's considered an all-American type of food, so it's certainly appropriate. Especially when mixed with chocolate. Go ahead, make all the fruity pies you want, and for tradition's sake everyone will have piece. But the dessert everyone will come back to after a walk around the block, the dessert you catch your father-in-law sneaking pieces of at midnight, is made of chocolate and peanut butter. I was going to suggest  this Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Tart, from the Sugarpunk Desserts blog. But how can I recommend something without actually having tried it myself? So purely in the interest of blog research, I made it yesterday, instead of dinner. Who has time to do both?   The tart is everything a dessert should be - delicious, elegant, rich. It's not too hard to make, but it does take time to set, so do it a couple of days in advance. I followed the directions exactly, and had no problem with the crust. It tastes like a peanut butter cookie. No one even missed dinner.

Another recipe I've been thinking about  is Velvet Lava's Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets. As much as I'd like to show you a picture, I can't. It's not nice to copy another blogger's pictures without permission, so you'll just have to check it out yourself. But trust me, they look amazing, and this is a fun blog to read too.

One more peanut butter suggestion then I really should go and make a nutritious dinner for my kids (before they get scurvy or something). I recently met Maureen Harder, a former pastry chef and the creator of Sassy Sauces. She makes a Peanut Butter Fudge sauce (among others) that you dream about. Poured on vanilla ice cream or pound cake, you can "look like a star in the kitchen without actually having to cook a thing,"  A girl after my own heart. Plus, the labels are really cute. Check out her website for some yummy and easy recipes.

A Plan, a Man and Stuffing in a Pan

You'd think by now I would have this Thanksgiving thing down pat. Just serve the same thing every year and call it "tradition". But noooo, not me. And not you either. Because there are so many new things to try. I buy every November issue of food magazines that I don't already subscribe to. Every year there's a new way to cook a turkey that is absolutely the most delicious, juiciest, herb-iest, buttery-est, best ever. The past couple of years have been all about brining.  This year it's about salting. I guess it's like brining but without the liquid. I tried the brining method once. I had to submerge a 19 pound turkey in the saltwater solution that I mixed up in a big Playmate cooler. All day I worried about salmonella  poisoning. Was the turkey cold enough? Was it wet enough? Was it too wet? Was it too warm in the garage, where I kept the cooler?  It was way too much to think about. This year, I'm going to try the salt method from Bon Appetit. It's still more work than your average roast Butterball, but I'm up for the challenge. To hell with tradition.

Stuffing is a different story. My mother made it with Ritz crackers, which we all loved. My mother-in-law made it with bread cubes from a bag, which her kids loved. She also cooked it inside the turkey - something my family never did. (I think my mother was concerned about salmonella also). Several years ago, I tried a recipe that had all the right stuff (yes, that's a pun, sorry). Egg bread, wild mushrooms, leeks and hazelnuts. I make it in a baking dish. It's an awesome combination of flavors and textures, plus it makes everyone happy. If you want to try it, you'll find it here. Just don't cut off the bread crusts. They help make the top layer of your stuffing nice and crisp.

Growing up, we never had mashed potatoes. Plenty of baked potatoes, but no mashed. Bob, on the other hand, comes from a mashed potato family. Therefore, if he wants mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, he has to make them. So he does. He also makes the pies all by himself, including the crust. What a guy. I'll cover this  story in another post soon.

Finally, I have one thing to say about vegetables  - more is better. I have been known to have 6 different kinds at the Thanksgiving table. Brussels sprouts of course (see my previous post). Squash. Peas with pearl onions. Green beans. Glazed  or creamed onions. Roasted root vegetables with maple syrup. I even tried a lovely green salad one year, with pears, dried cranberries and a maple vinaigrette. Go through the magazines. Find something that really appeals to you. A variation on an old favorite or something completely new. Really, it'll be ok. No one would dare be ungrateful on Thanksgiving.

How do Brussels sprout?

Last week, while it was still warm, I went to the farmer's market in Monument Square. Sure it wasn't exactly like August with the gorgeous bins of tomatoes, bouquets of basil, peppers, blueberries, corn...well, I could go on, but that's all just a happy memory until next summer. Now I was pleased to see loads of squash, apples, turnips and my favorite, Brussels sprouts.

Brussels sprouts have a bad rep. Adults turn up their noses and politely refuse. Children gag loudly and dramatically. Uncalled for behavior, really. When cooked right, the Brussels sprout is a delicious vegetable.
Have you ever seen a Brussels sprout? They grow on a thick stalk like this. If you've only had Brussels sprouts from those little round containers covered in cellophane, then you have every right to refuse. However, when cut off the stalk (sometimes they snap right off) and cooked properly, you'll be shocked and amazed what a difference it makes.

Brussels sprouts are always a part of my Thanksgiving menu. And believe it or not, everyone eats them and not just to be polite. There are loads of great recipes out there for preparing your fresh Brussels sprouts. Here's the quickest, easiest way to make them:

Trim tough ends from each sprout. Discard any yellowing or dry outer leaves. Slice in half vertically. Place on a baking or roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in the oven set at 425 for about 1/2 hour, or until they are lightly browned with crispy edges.
Do this and your guests will be impressed. If you want your guests to think of you as a culinary genius, try Brussels Sprout Hash with Carmelized Shallots. Another way I like to make them is with prosciutto, like this:

Cook 3 cups trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts in boiling water for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. (DO NOT overcook them at this stage or you will be forced to sit at the kids' table where there is no wine). Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup (about 1 1/2 oz.) chopped prosciutto. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 Tbsps. olive oil to pan and place it back on medium-high heat. When heated, add Brussels sprouts. Saute until lightly browned. Add 1 Tbsp. butter, sea salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the prosciutto. Combine well and serve. Don't take no for an answer.

More Thanksgiving posts to come soon, but first I want to remind you that this is World Kindness Week. 
And tomorrow, November 13, is World Kindness Day. Do something nice for someone. You'll never regret it. And don't forget about being kind to yourself too.

Harvest on the Harbor Part II

A week ago Saturday was the HOH Culinary Marketplace, a full day event at the beautiful Ocean Gateway terminal in Portland. Instead of being merely an observer/taster like I had been before (see my previous HOH post), this day I had an official badge that read "Exhibitor". That's because I was working with Jackie Dennis, who owns a store in Portland called J'Accents. Jackie is a lovely British woman with flawless taste. The store is brimming with color and filled with "inspirational tablescapes". I work there, very part-time, simply because I enjoy being around such beautiful things. It's fun to arrange and re-arrange them, and help people find ways to update their tables.
We had an area at HOH where we could show off some of our merchandise and our display skills. We spent days choosing the right place settings and linen to take, then wrapping fragile items in bubble wrap. We trucked it all to the terminal, carried it up a long ramp, unpacked it all and began to set up. When we finished several hours later, we had 6 tables full of color and texture.

 

  

                                                                    

 We used nuts, bread and candy corn to fill bowls. We put aged Gouda and crackers under the Simon Pearce cheese dome. Empty spaces were filled in with dried gourds, leaves and candles. With the light flowing in from the terminal's huge windows, the displays looked gorgeous. I stayed there most of the day, talking with both old and new customers. It was fun to meet others who are as obsessed with tableware as we are.

Downstairs, on the pier, was where most of the food vendors had their booths set up. No need for a real lunch when there were so many samples to be had. I followed the irresistible scent of barbecue to DennyMike's, where they were serving up pulled pork with a couple of their sauces.The Hot 'n Nasty was truly hot with habeneros. The vinegary Carolina-style tasted just like the sauce my friend Joni used to bring back from her visits home to North Carolina. But the Sweet 'n Spicy was definitely the winner. I can't wait to try it at home. Moving on, there was crab bisque, seafood chowder, biscuits and bread, more barbecue, and more seafood to be tasted. And that was before I even got to the sweet stuff.

I was glad to see my favorite whoopie pie makers, Cranberry Island Kitchen. More refined than your average Maine convenience store whoopie pie, these delicious treats are shaped like mussels, scallops and at this time of year, mini pumpkins. I tried them with maple creme filling and espresso creme, along with the traditional vanilla. OMG. Really, I could do without the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and just order a bunch of these (if only my husband would let me get away with it!). I wish I had a picture, but I was too busy eating, so you'll just have to check out their website.

Later in the afternoon I met the delightful Brass Sisters,  Marilynn and Sheila. They were signing copies of their new cookbook, Heirloom Cooking with the Brass Sisters. These ladies call themselves the "queens of comfort food", and if you take a look at their book, it'll be obvious why. They have collected recipes from the treasured notebooks of home cooks, called manuscript cookbooks. Many come from their own mother, including the quintessential Mama's Chicken Soup and Romanian Stuffed Cabbage. The recipes are culturally diverse, hearty and full of nostalgia for simpler times.They suggested I try "Aunt Ruth's Dilly Casserole Bread" and I plan to one day soon. I'll let you know how it goes.

PS - I have not been paid or compensated in any way by any of the companies mentioned here, in exchange for those mentions.  However, as stated, I do work part-time at J'Accents.

I Want Candy

I'm sure you're all anxiously awaiting my HOH Part II post, but that'll have to wait, because it's Halloween. I love candy, don't you? Butterfingers, Junior Mints, Tootsie Rolls, Raisinets - all favorites. I hope my daughter gets lots of them to share with me. I wish it was ok for adults to ring doorbells and ask for candy. It seems alright to knock on your neighbors door and ask for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Next time ask for what you really want - a Reeses peanut butter cup.

I hosted a small Halloween party last night, at the urging of my youngest child. It's really the most fun holiday for a party because you have a theme and can do so many things with it. Spooky, silly, sinister, scary, sexy - choose one. The best part of a party like this is the decorating. Here's how my table looked:

 One large glass dish in the middle filled with Hershey's kisses, surrounded by a variety of glass containers with black and orange jelly beans, candy corn, and chocolate "eyeballs". Two black metal  tree-shaped candelabras, a couple of mini pumpkins and some glittery Halloween garland, topped off with one skeleton. The black tablecloth was actually a king-sized sheet, purchased just for the occasion.

There are so many great Halloween recipes out there, but I went mostly with kid favorites - mummy wrapped mini hot dogs, chicken tenders and sloppy joe meatballs. The mummy dogs were definitely the favorite. Adults were served more interesting dishes. Frankenstein (Green Goddess) dip with red and yellow peppers and baby carrots. Baked shells with squash. And a green salad (thanks, Cheryl). But the hit of the party was the Ghoul Punch. Delicious on its own for the kids, the adult version was punched up with raspberry-flavored vodka. Mmmm.
As my guests said good night, they were given a container of caramel corn I made using a recipe from Elle's New England Kitchen, another fun food blog. I usually don't do anything with caramel. Too many things can go wrong and then all you're left with is sticky pans. But this caramel corn is made in the microwave. It's brilliant and addictive. Give it a try! ( I added salted almonds.)

Frankenstein (aka Green Goddess) Dip

1 cup low fat plain Greek yogurt

1 cup low fat sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 c. snippped fresh chives

2 tsps. anchovy paste

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

1/4 c. fresh tarragon or thyme, coarsely chopped

2 Tbsps. water

Fresh vegetables for serving (whatever you like)

Puree yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, anchovy paste, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Add parsley, tarragon or thyme and water, blending until mixture is pale green and smaooth. Scrape down sides as necessary.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve with vegetables. Or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This is also delicious over salmon!

If you eat this healthy dip and all your vegetables, you certainly deserve a candy bar afterwards. I'll bet your next door neighbor has one waiting for you.

Harvest on the Harbor Part I

Before I begin with all the deliciousness let me say this: I was not paid or otherwise compensated by any of the establishments or vendors mentioned below. I was not given free tickets to the event.  I was there as anyone else would be - as an observer (with a camera and notepad) and food enthusiast. I am happy to pass on the information here just because I love local food and I think we are lucky to have so many wonderful choices.
It was a spectacular late fall evening when the crowd was ushered into Ocean Gateway Terminal on Portland Harbor. In exchange for our tickets, we were each handed a wine glass with the Harvest on the Harbor logo and a small program listing the restaurants and wine vendors present. So much beautiful food! So much wine to taste!
Where to begin?

I headed first to a set up by Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea, because the display was so appealing. Tiny wafer cones filled with Maine Peekytoe (what a funny name!) crab and topped with a bit of red caviar. Two quick bites and it was gone. Very mignardise-like. Our next stop was at the table of another hotel restaurant, Eve's at the Garden, which is located in The Portland Harbor Hotel. Chef Jeff Landry had created a chilled Maine lobster parfait with fall corn and chive mousse in a little shot glass.  Hard to say for sure, but this may have been my favorite bite of the night, with its mix of textures and tastes.

But I also loved The White Barn Inn's beet-cured salmon with wasabi caviar and a spicy-sweet sauce, served up on a tiny black spoon. The spicy wasabi, then the hit of sweetness at the end of the bite made it really special.

Time for something to drink. I will be the first to tell you that I don't know much about wine. I tend to find one I like and stick with it for a while, until I find another one I like. I was happy to see one of my current favorites, Menage a Trois, a white table wine from Trinchero Family Estates.  A few sips and I was off in search of more food. I didn't have to go too far to find Back Bay Grill's squash soup with duck confit, Marcona almonds and truffle cream. Yum - rich and creamy, a little salty (in a good way) from the duck and almonds. On a cold night, this would be warm and soothing.

Last summer, we ate at Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, a wonderful restaurant in an old meetinghouse in the town of Georgetown. It's off the beaten path for sure, but definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere near there. They offer some interesting wines by the glass, matched to each dish. The food and service were incredible and they treated our eight year old daughter like a queen. So I was glad to see chef Michael Gagne serving miniature ham Meetinghouse biscuits with mascarpone pepper jelly.They are known for their biscuits, which you can actually buy frozen at some supermarkets. I plan to serve them at Thanksgiving.

It was great to see so many restaurants using local produce and meats. I know some have been doing this for a while, and those are the places I like to eat at when I can. If you are trying to buy more local foods, you'll appreciate the wines from Cellardoor Vineyard, in Lincolnville, Maine. I tasted their Vino diVine and Casa Blanca. Could be my new favorites. Owner John Tynan tells the story of how he and his wife came to be winemakers in Maine on his blog, with some lovely pictures of the place.

There wasn't much in the way of desserts at Harvest on the Harbor. The Cliff House did bring these pretty candied Lady apples, with coconut. And  Sweet Marguerite's, a local candy maker, were offering a rich, dark chocolate flavored with espresso. I hope next year the organizers will add more dessert samplings, or maybe do a separate event during the festival with just sweets.  

Check back soon for more about HOH, including Saturday's marketplace and cookbook authors the Brass Sisters.   'Til then, try to stay out of the Halloween candy.                                                                                      

Book Club Soup

Here is a short post about two of my favorite things - soup and books.
This month our book group read Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley by Ann Rinaldi .The book, a fictionalized history, tells the story of a seven year old African girl. She arrived in Boston in 1761, where she was sold as a slave to the Wheatley family, and renamed Phillis. Her intelligence is nurtured, she is taught to read and write, and she becomes a well-known poet. Books of her poems were published in England, but in colonial Boston, her writing's authenticity is questioned. How could a young black slave compose such moving and thoughtful works? Phillis is forced to defend her work to the governor and others, which she does successfully. It's a really good read, and different than our typical picks from popular literature. I'd recommend it to anyone, and it might be especially appealing to middle-schoolers.

The book was a great excuse for a night out with a terrific group of women. When we get together, the host cooks dinner. There's no pressure to produce an extravagant meal - whatever the host is comfortable doing is fine. We've even had members host in a restaurant if they didn't feel like cooking. Last night was cold and windy. Laura, our lovely host, provided the perfect meal for a chilly October night. Spiced and roasted pumpkin seeds to have with wine, a big Greek salad and this delicious soup. The recipe was originally from Gourmet magazine, but many tweaks have made it Laura's own.

Red Lentil Soup

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin (or more of you really like cumin)

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 cups red lentils, picked over and rinsed

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
(to make this a vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth instead)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup frozen peas

2 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice

Cook onion in oil with 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium-sized heavy sauce pan, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, bay leaf and thyme, and cook stirring, one more minute. Add lentils, broth, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils are very soft and falling apart, about 35-45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Puree 3 cups of the soup in blender or food processor (be careful when blending hot liquids!), then return to pan. Stir in parsley, peas and lemon juice. Serve when peas are heated through.

I can't wait to make this at my house. When I do, I think I'll try adding a little curry powder and maybe some chopped carrots, cooked along with the onion. Thanks Laura - it's a keeper!

I'm off to the Grand Tasting at Harvest on the Harbor tonight. I hope to take lots of pictures to show you. Check back over the weekend.

About

I'm all about the food. Eating it, writing about it, reading about it, talking about it, thinking about it.  And cooking it. I have no formal training whatsoever, and I don't claim to be an expert. But I feel comfortable and happy in the kitchen, either experimenting or cooking up an old favorite.

What I do know has come from many  sources - friends, a huge collection of cookbooks, an addiction to cooking magazines, the Food Network (hello Tyler Florence!) and other food bloggers. 

There's so much out there to taste! 

  I love anything hot and spicy, loaded with garlic and ginger and lime and chilies. I love all things Italian, from ribollita to granita. Je t'aime the art of French pastry (such as a mignardise) and the cafe life of Paris. I love a cold glass of Torrontes from Argentina and a prickly pear margarita from Arizona. And I love the flavors of my little corner of America - maple, fresh seafood, tomatoes from the September farmer's market.

And chocolate. Anything chocolate. You'll find me coming back to all kinds of chocolate recipes over and over. I just can't quit it. Nor do I want to.

Thanks for visiting me at  Mignardise.  I hope you'll enjoy what you see here, make comments and ask questions. I hope you'll visit often, or better yet subscribe (it's free!).

 And thanks for humoring me. It's not often I get to say whatever I want and no one interrupts.

Heartburn: Red Sox or Spicy Feta Dip?

You could hear the hearts breaking all over New England last night as my hometown team, the Boston Red Sox, failed in their bid to defend their World Champions title. How could they have lost? We all sat in the same seats we did for Thursday's miraculous comeback. We wore our lucky hats. We played Dropkick Murphys songs. I guess some things just aren't meant to be. Thanks Dustin, Josh, Dice-K, Papi, Youk and all the rest. There's always next year.

Last night, before the game, we had a neighborhood get-together. It's a friendly neighborhood and I enjoy my neighbors, but we don't often socialize because of schedules, jobs, kids. So this was a nice opportunity to catch up with some of those who don't have kids in the same schools or dogs that need walking. Our hosts asked us to bring our "specialty of the house". My children would tell you that our specialty is peanut butter on a Triscuit topped with chocolate chips. This may be true for them, but I think the Spicy Feta dip is a much better choice with a glass of wine. You can make this as spicy or mild as you like, varying the amounts and types of peppers you use. In the summer, it's fun to try some of the many different peppers you find at the farmer's market - Hungarian wax, poblano, jalapeno, chilipeno (I think the farmer made that one up). But stick with ones that are some shade of green so your dip will be a pale, pretty color. Green bell peppers, however, don't bring much to the party.

Spicy Feta Dip

6-8 mixed green peppers (see above)
cored, seeded and halved lengthwise

3/4 cup olive oil

1 lb. imported Greek feta cheese

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

kalamata olives, fresh mint leaves for garnish

crusty bread or fresh vegetables, for serving

1. Turn on your broiler. Set the peppers on a baking sheet, skin side up. Brush with some of the oil. Broil for about 3 minutes or until they're charred all over. Watch carefully so they don't burn to a crisp!
2. Remove from the oven and place immediately in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool. When they're cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the peppers.
3. In a food processor, combine the peppers, feta and black pepper. Blend until the mixture begins to break up. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, until it is all well-blended and smooth.
4. Scrape into a small serving dish and garnish with olives and mint.

This is unlikely to give you heartburn, unless you watch the Red Sox right after eating it.

This is going to be a busy and exciting week for foodies here in Maine. I'm looking forward to attending Harvest on the Harbor in Portland, a culinary festival that runs Thursday through Saturday. Loads of tastings, foodie talks and a culinary marketplace. It's a new event this year and hopefully it will help visitors see that we are more than lobsters and fried clams (I'm not complaining about either). Check it out if you can. If you can't, then check back here and I'll tell you all about it.

The Way Life Should Be - not just a marketing slogan

Yesterday was Bob's birthday, a little north of 50. For once, I did not obsess for days about what to make. There's a recipe I cut out of the New York Times magazine years ago, and this was the perfect opportunity to finally try it. It's actually called "The Way Life Should Be" which, as most of you know, is code for Maine and all that it entails. So of course it contains lobster. Lucky for me, Day's is still open for the season. Yes, a pound of lobster meat is an enormous splurge. Yes, I could have cooked the lobsters myself, then shelled them. But I am lazy when it comes to things like that. I can rationalize just about anything, so here's how I figure it: this is Bob's birthday present and it's more delicious than a flannel shirt. Plus, we get to share it.

A pound of picked lobster meat with pasta will feed 4-6 people, including one who just got home from 2 hours of football practice. Making this dish with the prepared lobster meat was ridiculously easy. It goes like this:
In a large bowl, mix together the juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 cloves chopped garlic, some crushed red pepper, a big handful of chopped herbs (I used parsley, mint, basil). About an hour before serving, add the lobster meat and do not refrigerate. Cook, then drain a pound of pasta (linguine is good).
At this point, if you have non-seafood eaters in your family, remove enough pasta for them to have with sauce from a jar. Don't tell them what they're missing.
Pour the lobster mixture over the rest of the pasta and mix well. Some snipped chives make a nice garnish. That's it!
I served it with a Caesar salad, with homemade garlic croutons.
Elegant, simple and so easy - the way life should be.



For dessert we indulged in peanut butter sundaes, one of Bob's favorites. My sister-in-law, who is an excellent cook, had given us some homemade fudge sauce. I made a peanut butter sauce with Skippy, corn syrup (that's right corn syrup - you just can't make some things without it), a little butter and vanilla. We put both sauces on top of vanilla ice cream (light ice cream of course) and finished the creation with chopped Reese cups and whipped cream.

I can't recommend eating this way every night, but for a birthday, it's just the thing to make you feel like a kid again.

What is Mignardise anyway?

Mignardise is something, charming, graceful and pretty, often referring to a sweet with your coffee after dinner. It feels good in your mouth when you say it out loud.
Mignardise may be a fancy French word, but it is also a new blog about food - all the food I love to eat, make, bake, read about, talk about and serve. Some of the things I love: chocolate, all baked goods, coffee, almonds, lemons, sweet potato fries, lobster rolls and onion rings. Most of these things are not mignardise at all, but I plan to write about them anyway. Food does not have to be precious, just delicious. A homely no-bake cookie is as worthy as a French macaroon from Laduree.

I'm told that as a child I was a picky eater. Maybe I wasn't offered anything worth eating. In my suburban home, a vegetable was chosen out of the freezer before dinner, an icy rectangle of green served with the t-bone steak or baked chicken. Dessert was the highlight, a square Pepperidge Farm cake also fresh from the freezer. My mother did not know how to cook any other way, nor did she have any desire to learn. But I did. When I was in college, a dear friend gave me The New McCall's Cookbook for my birthday, and I started to cook in the tiny kitchen of our off-campus apartment. Nothing extravagant or unusual, but I found the process to be truly enjoyable. And I became more adventurous and interested in all things food. This was the early '80's when the term "foodie" was not yet in use. Martha Stewart was catering bar mitzvahs in Connecticut and the only chef that most people could name was Boyardee.

Twenty-something years later, I am married and the mother to three great kids and the world's best dog, living life the way it should be. Martha rules the world. My cookbook collection has grown exponentially. I love to cook for my family, but not every night. When I don't, we eat burritos or bibimbap from local restaurants. I love to bake - for the lacrosse team, the football team, the birthdays and classroom celebrations, for myself. I hang out with my neighbor drinking wine and snacking on lemon-artichoke pesto and baguettes from Rosemont Market. I am constantly thinking about what I'm going to make for the next book group meeting, the Halloween party, the cookie exchange, for dinner tonight. I bike, walk and work out with a guy named Big Joe so I can continue to eat as I like.

Mignardise is definitely a work in progress. I'll be posting a couple of times a week. I hope you'll join me for stories, recipes, photos and more. I hope you'll comment on what you like. I hope you'll ask questions. Most of all, I hope you'll enjoy what I have to offer. Say "mean-yar-deez", and tell your friends.