Monday, December 21, 2009

Year end reflections from my house to yours


Goodbye, 2009.  I say goodbye to you with great hopes for 2010.

Was it Steinbeck in Of Mice and Men who said, "Hope fuels man's existence" ?

Each year, just when I think that I have learned all there is to learn, I am surprised and relieved to know that there's still so much out there yet to be discovered.  And this year is no different.  I am also at peace to know that no matter what, I will always have hope, year after year, and the unending belief that we (as a species) will continue to do better.  I will never run out of hope.  As my friend Kerstin says, "Hope dies last."

In 2009 I have experienced triumph and disappointment, anxiety and peace, love and fear.  As I look into the eyes of 2010, I now reflect back on my learnings and look ahead to my hopes.

Most importantly I have learned:

...that the love of a parent for their child and their child's child knows no bounds (thanks, Dad).

...that just because you are 40 years old, it doesn't mean that you still can't turn a few heads.  Granted, those heads usually have gray hair.

...that gray hair is OK with me.  No hair works too.

...that if something seems strange and completely inexplicable, it usually has a pretty good explanation.

...to never doubt the power of love.

...that civil behavior and actions, even in the most trying circumstances, can be the most important investment you can make in a favorable outcome.

...that love and honesty attracts love and honesty.

...that most people will live up to the compassion, kindness, and grace that you show them.

...that looking at things from a positive perspective more often allows the situation to come out positively.

...that you're never too old to learn to use a Mac, or to love one.

...that dancing in the living room with my three and a half year old at the end of a long and trying day makes me forget about the long and trying day.

...that there are three sides to every story.

...that people who show animals respect and love are the most worthy of my respect and love.

...that the greatest misunderstandings arise from language and context, and not from actions.

...that everyone's best might not be the same as my best, but should still be treated as best.

...that what you hope and pray for might not be what you get.  What you get might actually be better.

...that developing a good reputation takes a long time, and that there are plenty of opportunities along the way to wreck it.

...that having a reputation for doing what you promise to do is one of the most valuable assets you can own.


...that trust, whether in business or personal matters, is as fragile as an eggshell, and that you must never fail to protect it.

 ...that when you're really down and out, the ones who have the least will usually give you the most.

I wish all who have been a part of my life, near and far, a joyous holiday and a peaceful and healthy new year.  May hope continue to blossom in your garden.

Pamela

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Prosciutto Crudo--is there a more perfect food?


I received, as a gift, THIS.  A glorious, big fat wedge of raw ham.  Here it waits patiently on my meat slicer, just waiting for me to unleash the incredible flavor in wafer thin slices.

This was the only meat I would eat during my first 6 months of pregnancy.  And I still love it.

Oh how I love prosciutto.  Let me count the ways:

  • As a last minute add to a pizza.  Bake a small pizza with the regular toppings.  When it comes out of the oven add arugula and shaved prosciutto.  Serve with a fork and knife.
  • By itself, with a lovely glass of Barbera.
  • Wrapped around a long Italian breadstick.
  • Piled on top of ripe, sweet, juicy cantaloupe melon
  • Wrapped around a date
  • Wrapped around a fig
  • Wrapped around my finger
  • On an antipasto platter, along grilled vegetables and hard aged cheese
  • As an addition to the traditional buffala mozzarella, ripe tomato and basil
  • In pasta:  toss hot pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese, cream, fresh peas, and gorgeous chunks of this ham
  • On a sandwich on a fresh baguette, buttered (we do that thing here and believe me you would get used to it too)
  • Spread with a thin layer of herbed goat cheese, then rolled and cut into little wheels.  
Those are all my favorites.  How about you?  Any other ideas?

Friday, December 18, 2009

Sauce Basics

When I dine in a fine restaurant, several places in Paris cross my mind, the thing I look most forward to are the sauces.  Sauces can add a lovely counterpoint and dimension to an otherwise ordinary focal point.

Sauces delight me.

I am still experimenting, but I'd like to share with you the most basic pan sauce that you can do to spruce up any meat that's been prepared in a skillet.

To begin, never ever, EVER use a non-stick pan.  If you use one, this conversation is over.  It won't work.

Now that we're past that, you'll need the following for a lighter style sauce to be used with chicken, pork, fish, or turkey cutlets :

  • oil for frying (if you are searing meat, peanut or grape seed oils are best as you can heat them very high before they begin to smoke)
  • white wine (not sweet--try sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, or anything pretty dry)
  • lemon juice or mustard
  • chicken broth or water
  • shallots
  • butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
Prepare your pan by pouring enough oil into your pan to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan.

Heat the pan until the oil sizzles when you touch a bit of the meat to it.

Lay your seasoned, DRY meat (do not ever put a damp or wet piece of meat into a pan with hot oil--you will get burned from the oil which will splatter) into the pan.  Do not crowd the pan or you'll end up steaming the meat rather than searing it.

Cook until the meat is browned on one side.  Turn and cook until meat is finished to your taste.  There should be a brown coating on the bottom of the pan. Set meat aside and keep warm.

Add the sliced shallots to the pan that you just cooked the meat in.  Cook them until they are soft.

Pour about 3/4 cup (or so) of white wine into the pan.  It should make a very impressive sizzle.  Using a metal spatula, scrape up the brown bits into the wine and stir until they dissolve.  You should have a very clean pan at the end of this process (i.e. nothing sticking to the bottom).

Reduce the wine until it thickens and is mostly gone....but not too much where it begins to burn.  Add about 2 tablespoons of lemon to the mixture and reduce by 3/4.  If you choose to use mustard instead, add this in last and skip the lemon step.

Finally, add about a half cup of water or chicken stock and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Take the sauce off the heat and stir in about 3 tablespoons of cold butter.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce onto a plate and place your meat on top of that and enjoy!

(Jean-Marie, I know that this is nowhere near as good as Taillevent, but I will keep trying)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Good Old Fruit Cobbler

This is the time of year where fresh local fruit seems like a lifetime away, and we wait in purgatory with apples which are now not so crisp and oranges, oranges, and more oranges.  I must say that I do love Clementines, but even those get a bit old after awhile.

I was given this recipe by a dear friend Louisa in Austin, Texas after visiting her hometown one summer and going blackberry picking.  The berries were huge and flavorful, and her mom whipped up a good old fashioned blackberry cobbler in order to deal with all of the excess fruit.  I don't think I can remember a time where a dessert ever tasted so good--I ate and ate and ate until I could eat no more.  And then I went home with the sweet memories of butter, sugar, and blackberries on my mind--and the recipe in my hand.

The nice thing about fruit cobblers is that you don't necessarily need fresh fruit.  I have used this recipe successfully with frozen blackberries too.  I think (although I have not yet tested it) that this would also work with frozen peaches although I would probably defrost them first and drain the liquid before adding them.  Using frozen fruit also requires a slightly longer baking time so just watch your oven.

The other nice thing about fruit cobblers is that they are FAST and EASY!  Unexpected guests?  No problem!  As long as you have a bag of frozen berries in your freezer (and I assume that you have the other ingredients in your home already), you can whip this up in no time at all.  I also use this as an ending to a labor intensive dinner--while I am eating with my guests this can be baking in the oven simultaneously.  There is nothing like a just-from-the-oven dessert as a memorable ending to a fabulous meal.

The last time I served this to our neighbors and very good friends, their teenaged son dove into it with a large spoon, and then only grunting ensued.  In my mind, this was the highest compliment.

So here is the recipe, in all of it's simplicity and glory.  Please enjoy, and don't count calories.  Thank you Louisa!

Blackberry Cobbler

1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 cups blackberries
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
 1/2 cup sugar (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Combine the 1 cup of sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and milk and mix until smooth.

Add the melted margarine to the mixture and blend until combined.  Pour mixture into an oblong glass baking pan.  Ladle the fruit over the top of the batter and finish by sprinkling the 1/2 cup of sugar onto the top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream or alone.  Serves 4 in large bowls or 6 in smaller bowls.