“Everyone has a story, the air is full of stories.” Isabelle Allende
COQ AU VIN (chicken in red wine sauce)
Do you realize January 2017 has packed its bag, left the house and won’t return? Already two days into February, it’s Groundhog Day. Punxutawney Phil saw his shadow. Looking ahead, (or, not,) Super Bowl Sunday, the Oscars and Presidents’ week-end are in the line-up. Oops, Valentine’s Day. Forget that at your peril.Like most of you, this Life of mine has never seen lazy days. Whatever time I have, I fill up 100%. If you’re honest, don’t we all?
I discovered a very large NAPA (Chinese) CABBAGE in my Talley Farms box this week. It was the size of a football.
SWEET and SOUR ROASTED NAPA CABBAGE WEDGES (The cabbages you’ll find in the markets are smaller, a more appropriate size).
Just as when it snows in the Rockies, the rains have lightened the hearts of Central Coast residents. California still is water-deprived but there’s been relief. And, Mother Nature, responding to the slightest of care, is blooming and going green.
This Great White Egret is a frequent visitor to Estero Bluffs. When I saw him, he was just finishing “something.” He has a neck that would have madeAudrey Hepburn envious.
I stood quietly for 15 minutes before the egret flew off.
For birds it’s all about food and safety.
LANDING IN GREENER PASTURES
Last year, during my four months in Cali, I got a sense of this remarkable state. Thankful for the opportunity with a car that was willing, I traveled its length and breadth. If I qualify as a lifetime learner, that 7,500 mile journey was a graduate seminar.
LAST WEEK I PACKED A LUNCH AND SPENT SEVERAL HOURS AT THE SAN SIMEON BAY WHARF AND SS STATE BEACH PARK, BOTH ADJACENT TO THE HEARST PROPERTY AND ACROSS THE HIGHWAY FROM THE HEARST CASTLE.
AS I WALKED OUT ON THE WHARF, THIS CALIFORNIA GULL WAS PARKED ON THIS POST AND NOT ABOUT TO MOVE. I GOT RELATIVELY CLOSE. HE DIDN’T CARE. RIGHT BELOW THE GULL IS A SINK WHERE FISHERMEN CLEAN THEIR CATCH AND THE GULL WAS NOT ABOUT TO GIVE UP HIS SPOT.
HERE’S THE REASON …..A SHORT TIME LATER,THIS FISHERMAN, A REGULAR ON THE WHARF, ARRIVED. HE HAS STORIES TO TELL AND ROCKFISH TO CATCH. THE GULL WANTS THE REMAINS.
AS I WAS LEAVING THE PARK, I SPOTTED THIS ZEBRA NEAR THE HEARST PROPERTY FENCE LINE. THERE ARE STILL ABOUT 24 ZEBRAS THAT DESCENDED FROM THE HERD HEARST HAD FOR HIS EXOTIC ANIMALS ZOO. USUALLY THEY GRAZE UP IN THE HILLS. THIS GUY WAS 10′ FROM ME AND IS QUITE A BEAUTIFUL CREATURE.
This year, because of self-imposed deadlines for writing projects, I decided to wander in my own backyard. I was reminded by those daily adventures that everyone has a story. Granted, not all are cliffhangers but each carries a whiff of charm, mystery or ya-gotta-hear-this.
I’VE NEVER SEEN A BLUE-AND-WHITE COW, I NEVER HOPE TO SEE ONE BUT I CAN TELL YOU ANYHOW I’S RATHER SEE THAN BE ONE.
The key, for me, at least, is to slow down, look and listen. Two of those traits I’ve never mastered successfully! This winter I am blessed with the luxury of Time which, for me, is a gift, something to embrace and not squander. January was squander-free, every day filled with a gem or two for the memory bank.
SO SIMPLE. SO PERFECT.
It’s Cook-the-Book Fridays and this week’s recipe is french deliciousness, Coq au Vin. One of Julia Child’s signature dishes and included in her 1961 Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she often made it on her PBS cooking show. I served this braised stew with a baguette and Sweet and Sour Roasted Napa Cabbage Wedges (recipe below.)
SWEET and SOUR ROASTED NAPA CABBAGE WEDGES adapted from Cooking Light magazine.
Yield: Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 head napa (Chinese) cabbage, cut lengthwise into quarters
Cooking spray
PREPARATION:
1. Place a large roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven and pan to 450°.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Coat cut sides of cabbage with cooking spray. Place cabbage, cut sides down, on preheated pan. Bake 6 minutes. Turn cabbage onto other cut side; bake an additional 6 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Heat broiler to high. Brush cabbage liberally but evenly with honey mixture. Broil 3-5 minutes, until browned and caramelized.
COOK-the-BOOK-FRIDAYS is an international cooking group making its way virtually through David Lebovitz’s MY PARIS KITCHEN. See our group’s efforts here.
My friend, Dr. Marilyn Susman celebrated the 99th birthday of her mother, Helen Epstein, in Palm Beach. “We walked around the pond at Brookdale.” Marilyn said. “Other residents were at their windows or outside cheering us on.” Happy Birthday, Mrs. Epstein.
Democracy is messy. We Americans have inaugurated presidents since April 30, 1789, when George Washington took his oath at Federal Hall in New York City. Last week Donald Trump became our 45th president. A week-long celebration by his supporters in Washington DC was exciting. Jubilation reigned. Winning is fun.
Women’s March for Human Rights 2017, San Luis Obispo
However, on the next day American women grabbed the reins. LightsonBrightNoBrakes is not only devoted to food but, more importantly, to the lifestyle I’ve created after losing my husband. Today’s post is about my participation in that historic Women’s March 2017.
Since the early birds gets a parking space, I arrived in SLO very early before the March. These three women invited me to join them for breakfast. Thank you, Janice
Everything about this day was perfect, uplifting and peaceful. While being my own one-man band in San Luis Obispo, I spent the day surrounded by a lifetime of friends, thanks to the miraculous magic of my iPhone.
FRENCH FRIDAYS with DORIE, the DORISTA’S, my cooking colleagues from around the world, were marching. Dorie Greenspan, our mentor and friend, marched in Paris. I also got March On-messages from Emily in Khala Lumpur, Andrea in Bonn, Adriana in Puerto Rico, Trevor in Thailand and many America gals.
Betsy (C), an administrator with me on FFWD and CtBF, was in Boston with 175,000 of her best friends.
Teresa, who virtually walked through the last year with me, is from Vancouver.
Alaia rode while her dad, Marcel, and Katie, the administrator of CtBF’s and UCSB professor marched.
Another Dorista, Rose in Frankfurt, Germany
PLAN 1: After the election I read about a possible January 21st Woman’s March in Washington. Undecided but curious I booked a flight and reserved a room at Club Quarters Hotel located two blocks from the White House. In late December after reading about inauguration security concerns, I had second thoughts. Worst case scenario: my son-in-law flying across the country to settle civil disobedience charges against his mother-in-law. I bailed!
ASPEN – SKI/FLASH MOB/MARCH
Donna Grauer and many of my other friends skied down Aspen Mountain as part of the March.
My longtime Aspen neighbor, Blanca, was in San Miguel de Allende. During the March, her husband, Cav, linked me to her and friends in Vail and Aspen.
PLAN 2: In early January I noticed San Luis Obisbo, located 35 miles from Cambria, was holding a Sister March. I signed up. Since I would be alone, I began to “customize” my Women’s March, owning it, so to speak. I contacted friends, inquiring about their participation and, like the march itself, the numbers kept growing.
MANCHESTER, FRIENDS from MY HOMETOWN
My Manchester friend of 60 years, Judy Sweet (L), marched in San Diego.
Our Manhawk Student Body President, Judy Miller, couldn’t march so her sweet daughter, Sarah, joined the Iowa March in Des Moines.
One of the really good guys from the Class of ’62, Jim Goodwin, marched with his sister, Kris, in Sonoma.
On January 21st, I joined a visual friendship circle strung together on social media and physically lined up with some 8,000 to 9,000 marchers in SLO. I realized, as the day progressed, I was participating in the largest organized march of protest in American history. To date, about 3.3 million people participated in 408 marches in 500 American cities. Worldwide participation included 168 cities in 81 countries and on every continent bringing our number close to 4.8 million. Only women could pull together an event of that magnitude in just two months.
A Familiar Sign – Me, too.
Museums Worldwide including some Smithsonian Museums, Are Collecting and archiving Women’s March Posters and memorabilia.
Do I believe this March will encourage policy changes or compromises by the Republican Trump administration? When Pigs Fly. (In a Word, No.)
But, “Just as plants need sun, water, and good soil to thrive, people need love, work, and a connection to something larger.”The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt
The Womens March for Human Rights 2017 was my something larger.
This post is dedicated, with fondness, to Dr. David Yokum, who was a prominent thoracic surgeon and catfish guy.
Another french classic, Brandade de Morue translates to Salt Cod and Potato Puree and is delicious.
Being Iowa born and bred in the Fifties/Sixties meant odds are heavily weighted to a meat-and-potatoes palate. In the Corn State then there were approximately 200,000, 150-170 acre family farms. Each August at the Delaware County Fair, the 4-H kids would show off their prized livestock, compete for ribbons and eventually auction those animals off.
My neighbor raptor, a red-shouldered hawk, gets scrutinized by a visiting hummingbird.
My parents would purchase a porker and reserve a side of beef from prize-winning 4-H livestock. At our house we didn’t eat fish. Mom was a good cook and those were different times. I had no hankering for fish nor, when it became more available, was curious enough to try. Plus, Michael was a meat man.
Salted Codfish is difficult to find in some areas. I found mine at Whole Foods. It’s better to buy it boned, if possible.
Thanks to David Yokum, I fully embraced the piscine world. David and his lovely wife, Martha, lived in Arkansas but, being music aficionados, summered in Aspen. He and I bonded shortly after our moving to Colorado in the late Eighties. Seated together at a charity dinner at the historic Hotel Jerome we chit-chatted with ease.
This Great Blue Heron likes to loiter nearby where there is a good possibility of scoring food.
A waitress, carrying two heavy coffee pots, stopped at our table to offer refills. As she leaned in to pour coffee into David’s cup, the pot in her other hand leaned with her. She successfully executed a full-on “pour” down David’s neck. When I noticed and started to scream, David remained oblivious…..until that piping hot coffee began streaming down his back.
After 36 hours of cold water rinses and draining, this is what reconstituted cod looks like.
Yeah, it hurt. Yeah, it scalded his skin. And, yeah, that frightened waitress was horrified. Ever the southern gentleman, he quietly left the table, making no fuss, and tended to his surface wounds. Throughout the 2-3 minute ordeal, the only words he grumbled to me were, “And, this is a new suit!”
Pacific Harbor Seal
Friends forever! That summer we newbies received an invitation to the Yokum’s annual catfish party. Apparently a coveted invitation to receive, we were none too interested in accepting. Growing up near the muddy Mississippi River, what I knew about catfish was not appetizing. Whiskers (barbels). Bottom dwellers. Considered the garbage eaters of the fish world.
The Brandade de Morue consisting of potatoes and cod is simmered in boiling water for 25 minutes before being drained and whipped together. Seasonings and heavy cream are added before it’s all mixed and ready for 20 minutes in the oven.
What we didn’t know was our doctor friend owned a 7,500-acre farm with about 60 ponds covering 1,200 water acres, producing soybeans, rice and catfish. His catfish were farm-raised. Not farming I recognized. But, Michael and I decided to chance it. Our new friend, David, was amused.
These brown pelicans are doing a bit of grooming.
Hushpuppies, cole slaw and Arkansas farm-fried catfish. Tasty fare, not-to-be-missed. Although David and Michael are gone now, the memories built off that first encounter and the Yokum’s friendship are forever.
In France, Les Accras, salt cod fritters served with tartar sauce, are a popular happy hour snack.
After moving to Aspen and realizing its local availability, I eventually joined the fish brigade. Today I eat very little pork or beef. It’s an easy walk to the Butcher Block/City Market to buy fish. This week’s Cook the Book Friday’s recipes, Brandade de Morue and Accras (fritters) de Morue are a far swim from the Yokum’s catfish.
This solitary Long-billed Curlew is at work, searching for food.
I first sampled Brandade de Morue in Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s demo at Aspen’s Food & Wine Festival. During my immersion french studies at the Institute de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer, it was served at Côte d’Azur bistros/brasseries. Brandade is a purée of reconstituted salted cod, potato and seasonings. It’s served very hot, browned on top, with a leafy salad and beer (my taste). Or, it’s an elegant appetizer. Or, as a snack, Accras de Morue, chilled balls of brandade, coated with fritter batter and fried.
Using my cookie scoop, I made 1-2″ balls from the brandade and then refrigerated them for 30 minutes. I made the fritter batter and dipped the chilled balls in the batter before frying them in canola oil. Like potato chips, you cannot eat just one!
Since making these recipes is a two-day process involving reconstituting the salty cod, I am not adding recipes. I relished making this, channeling the phenomenal Samuelsson, but in the future will leave it to others. If you DO want these recipes, I will gladly send them.
Cook the Book Fridays is an international group virtually making its way through David Lebovitz‘s My Paris Kitchen. To visit out site or join the group, please link here.
“Omelets are not made without breaking eggs.” Robespierre
“You CAN make an omelet without breaking eggs. It’s just a really bad omelet.” Steven Colbert
It’s CooktheBookFridays. This week’s recipe is David Lebovitz’s take on Omelette aux Fines Herbes. Although most countries and cultures boast their take on this beloved classic, the French were first, in 1393. Joan of Arc most likely noshed on omelettes (called alumettes). David’s is plain and simply herbs and cheese, leaving more to your own imagination and embellishment innovations.
Chinese New Year, The Year of the Rooster, begins January 28. If you’re guessing I’m intent on overworking this poultry angle, you’re egg-actly right.
Six weeks ago, before leaving Aspen for the winter, there was some moaning and whining in my parting post. “I’m adverse to risk,” I wrote, “unwilling to go out on that proverbial limb. My world turns more slowly. That’s shocking, scary and disappointing. Just thinking about what I can no longer do is cringe-worthy.”
Readers, may I take that back? I definitely laid an egg.
Saying good-bye to the resident Great Egret at Anthem Country Club before leaving for California. Facing extinction for their plumes in the 19th century, this bird was saved by the efforts of President Teddy Roosevelt. Hats off (those with plumes, at least), to The Rough Rider.
After posting those words I was shocked by the generous comments, e-mails and phone calls from afar as well as TLC from empathetic friends locally. Obviously. Struck. Nerve.
“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” Bernard Meltzer
In that post I had been describing a 4-month funk when here, there and everywhere, there were problems? My medical ills were fixable but in a lifetime of good health, I hadn’t needed much fixing. Pile on worries, real and imagined, and, to my mind, the dominoes were tilting. But I’m a hard-boiled egg and can’t ask for help easily. So, I didn’t.
After a 7-hour drive to Cambria yesterday, this was my Welcome Wagon haul: 1) Reserved Library Book Pick-Up (check); 2) Talley Farms Fresh Harvest Pick-Up (check); 3) New York Times waiting at the Front Door (check) BUT 4) no kids from The Gant to help me unpack (BUMMER).
Perspective works wonders. In hindsight and realizing it takes all my fingers and toes to count my many friends who have serious health problems, I feel small, with egg on my face. I’d have saved myself months of grief had I sought guidance and comfort. I’m blessed with a wide circle of friends and, in perusing that list, there’s not a one who wouldn’t have helped me. In fact, after my writing that post, they did.
“There is always a best way of doing everything if it be to boil an egg.” Ralph Emerson
BEATTY, NEVADA: HOW FUNNY IS THIS? THE GAL WHO OWNED THIS BUSINESS SAID SHE DESIGNED THE IMAGES HERSELF.
BEATTY, NEVADA IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS POLICE FORCE. DRIVING THROUGH TOWN MORE THAN 25 MPH, NOT 26 MPH, ALLOWS YOU TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY’S COFFERS.
My 2017 resolutions revolve around this recent experience, dealing with situations better and making lemonade out of lemons-moments. In this upcoming year when so many of the values I cherish and things I hold dear are in jeopardy, my resolutions will be tested. (And, I’ll be drinking lots of lemonade!)
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Playgroundmag.net
“This recipe is certainly silly. It says to separate the eggs, but it doesn’t say how far to separate them.” Gracie Allen
OMELETTE aux FINES HERBES BY David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Do not separate the eggs but do whip up David’s Omelette aux Fines Herbes this week. But, why put all your eggs in your morning basket? (OK, OK, READERS, that was a stretch.) Whether it’s breakfast, the norm, or lunch or dinner complimented by a green salad, it’s great for leftovers. Toegg you on, Here’s a LINK to more than 50 possible omelet fillings.
Serves 1 or 2
INGREDIENTS:
2 or 3 large eggs (as fresh as possible)
1 or 2 teaspoons of heavy cream or milk (TIP: I used whole milk.)
2 or 3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh herbs
Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salted or unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons of freshly grated Gruyère or Comté cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a bowl, stir the eggs and milk (or, cream) together briskly with a fork (use 1 teaspoon of milk for 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of milk for 3 eggs). Reserve some herbs for garnish and add the rest (2 teaspoons for a 2-egg omelette), using the fork to blend in the herbs, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill.
2. Heat the butter in a large (10-inch), nonstick skillet (or a smaller skillet if you like a thicker omelette) over moderately high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle and form a bit, spread it all over the pan with a spatula so the bottom and part of the sides of the pan are covered.
3. Pour the eggs into the hot pan and let them cook until the edges start to set, which will happen before a minute is up. Life the pan, tilt it towards you, and use a heatproof spatula to lift up the lip of the omelet closest to you, allowing the liquid, uncooked eggs from the center, to flow underneath. Put the pan back on the burner and sprinkle the cheese in a line down the center.
4. Before the omelet is completely set (depending on how you like your eggs), fold it in half and slide it onto a warm plate. Garnish with the reserved chopped herbs.
CooktheBookFridays is an online group which is cooking its way virtually through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen. To see what others are cooking up or to join the group, Link to this site.
Jam Thumbprints with Toasted Coconut, MACARONS by Fançois Payard and World Peace Cookies
In the mood to feel good? Need to unplug for a moment? I can magically make that happen:(1) Read my blog;(2) While still (hopefully) chuckling from Dorie & Ina: The Art of Fierce, drive to to your local theatre to see “La La Land”. If you’re not happy after (1) and (2) then, apparently, you don’t do happy.
EYE to EYE with JULIUS CAESAR at CAESAR’S PALACE.
One afternoon, during the Thanksgiving holiday, my son-in-law asked if I wanted some coffee. It wasn’t 5 o’clock anywhere so coffee sounded like a good substitute. “I’ve got a new cup for you, Mary,” he said as he reached into the cupboard.
He set the “new” cup in front of me. As you can see, it says, FIERCE. Melissa, standing nearby, watched as I morphed into my ‘hurt feelings’ position. You know, head down, shoulders rounded, going mum. Realizing her mother was of a different generation, she jumped in, “Mom, mom, that’s a good thing. It’s a compliment. My friends just gave it to me and we thought you’d like to use it.”
“You mean being a fierce woman is a good thing?” I questioned, somewhat amazed.
“Yessssss,” Missy emphasized. “They – gave – it – to – me – as – a – compliment.”
“It’s good, Grandma” Emma chimed in, with the entire family shaking their heads in agreement. (I knew Clara, who remained silent, was thinking, “Whew, that was close.”)
LA TOUR EIFFEL (FAUX)
ELLEN FAHR (L) AND HER HUSBAND, CHARLIE, WERE OUR FIRST FRIENDS WHEN WE MOVED TO HENDERSON IN 2004. BEST REALTORS EVER. LUNCH, 58 TOUR EIFFEL, PARIS LAS VEGAS
So I’m all over this but discovered via Google I was fiercely ignorant in the urban slang department. The first twisted version of fierce grew up in the 1990s and later evolved into a fashion statement. Six years ago model/television personality Tyra Banks hijacked it and social media went nuts.
I AM ALWAYS RELIEVED WHEN I SPOT ANTHEM COUNTRY CLUB’S RESIDENT GREAT BLUE HERON. SUCH A GORGEOUS CREATURE GREETING ME EACH MORNING WHEN I WALK THE “LOOP.”
Today fierce, in its affirmative form, seems to have landed between ‘the combination of a positive mental spirit, bold words and unapologetic actions used collectively’ and women ‘who are on fire and possess too much swag for the common man or woman to handle.’
Take your pick.
“FIORI DI COMO,” THE GLASS SCUPLTURE BY ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE DALE CHIHULY HANGS FROM THE CEILING IN BELLAGIO’S LOBBY. IT IS BREATHTAKING TO SEE, YEAR AFTER YEAR.
EVERY DAY BETWEEN 15,000 TO 20,000 TOURISTS VISIT THE BELLAGIO’S HOTEL-CASINO LOBBY TO SEE CHIHULY’S MAGNIFICENT ART BLOSSOMS.
However you phrase its definition, Baking Icon Dorie Greenspan and renown television personality and author Ina Garten are double-digit fierce. That’s why I’m featuring them and their favorite cookies in today’s post. Both are incredibly hard-working and classy women who, for thirty-some years, have shared their lives and talents with us. This special season is an opportune time to reign glory on Dorie and Ina. Let’s do it.
DORIE GREENSPAN’S 12TH COOKBOOK WILL GARNER SOME AWARDS OF ITS OWN.
The seemingly indefatigable Greenspan, an IACP/James Beard award-winning cookbook author, just published her 12th cookbook. Greenspan was the French Fridays with Dorie guru of our virtual group which cooked through all her recipes in Around My French Table, More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. This week-end I baked her renown World Peace cookies featured on the cookbook’s cover. All recipes below.
Then there’s the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, whose tenth cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey, just hit the bookstores. Having always been an Ina fan, I already own most but am trying to fill in the gaps by haunting favorite used book and thrift stores. Long ago I bookmarked her Jam Thumbprint cookies from her Family Style cookbook. Fun to mix together and a tasty morsel.
OKLAHOMA FOOD-BLOGGING COLLEAGUE & FRIEND, GUYLA MAYO SENT ME HER LATEST JIGSAW PUZZLE SUCCESS. IT’S WINTER AND TIME TO RETURN TO MY MONTHLY JIGSAWS. THANKS GUYLA & GARY.
As I end this post, my last for 2016, I thank you for loyally following my blog. It seems amazing that my subscriber list continues to grow with other readers stopping by occasionally. I appreciate your comments and personal e-mails. Know these two things for sure: 1) I love writing this blog;2) LOBNB’s Readers are FIERCE.
Sending kindness and good wishes to All.
WORLD PEACE COOKIES by Dorie Greenspan, Dorie’s Cookies
Makes about 36 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup BEST-QUALITY unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into irregular sized bits
DIRECTIONS:
1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
2. Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until soft, creamy and homogenous, about 3 minutes. Beat in the salt and vanilla.
3. Turn off the mixer, add all the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to start the blending. When the risk of flying flour has passed, turn the mixer to low and beat until the dough forms big, moist curds. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix with beater on low to incorporate. Sometimes the dough is crumbly and sometimes it comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl. Happily, no matter what, the cookies are always great.
4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it together, kneading it if necessary to bring it together. Divide the dough in half. Shape the dough into logs that are 11/2 inches in diameter. (Use a ruler for a correct measure.) Don’t worry about the length — get the diameter right, and the length will follow. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 2 hours or refrigerate them for at least 3 hours.
5. When you’re ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. Working with one log at a time and using a long, sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. (The rounds might crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them. Slide in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. Cut the second log and put in the fridge while you bake the other.
7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes — don’t open the oven, just let them bake. When the timer rings, they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, and that’s just the way they should be. Leave the cookies on the pan and transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can munch them, let them reach room temperature or put them in an airtight container.
STORING: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just bake the cookies 1 minute long.
Oven-Ready Thumbprints
JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES with TOASTED COCONUT
by Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Family Style cookbook
Yield:32 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Apricot preserves and Blackberry preserves or filling of your choice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla.
3. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together.
4. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet.
My baking and cooking projects improved when I invested in a food scale two years ago.
6. Press a light indentation into the top of each with your cookie ball with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.
TIP: 1. Use your food scale to gauge a 1-oz. ball of dough.
2. After making the thumbprint cookies, slide the entire pan in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking.
3. These cookies freeze well.
Tom Turkey has been roosting outside my balcony the past two weeks. Since he doesn’t want to turn into dinner next week, he’s playing it safe near the deserted D building at The Gant.
COOK the BOOK FRIDAYS.
SCALLOPED POTATOES with BLEU CHEESE and ROASTED GARLIC
A winter storm warning is in effect today. We’re expecting 4-8 inches which is good news for Aspen.
Tomorrow (Friday) I’m headed West. First stop, Anthem Country Club in Henderson, Nevada where I’ll drop my bags for six weeks. Michael and I lived in ACC the last 8 years of our marriage. What I positively know is I wouldn’t have survived those difficult years without the small cadre of strangers who became our friends and my lifesavers. This six weeks is an opportunity for my heart to hold tightly to those friendships and memories. And, it doesn’t get any better than Thanksgiving and Christmas with my kids in Bishop.
Popping some garlic cloves into the oven, ready to roast. The aroma is sublime.
Preparing for my trip West is an energy-buster. I pack for a 5 1/2 month journey but also clear my condo, handing it off to The Gant for ski season rental. Everything personal moves to storage. #%@&% Of course I’d rather it be turnkey but this opportunity supports the turf, allowing me to remain in Aspen. (Warning: Now, here I get personal. You may want to skip to this week’s scrumptious recipe, Scalloped Potatoes with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Garlic)
The cheese is bleu.
These weeks of packing gave me time to reflect on my past 6 1/2 months in Aspen. The High Country has been my safe paradise since 1988. To my despair, this year I’ve clashed up against personal limitations and been forced to sample dependency. First Time Ever.
During my birthday celebration long ago, my daughter, Melissa, entertained guests with remarks about me. She mentioned two of the more exasperating qualities: 1) “Mom is ferociously independent.” 2) “Mom never gives up. Never.” To my mind, those two qualities are fantastic. To a daughter and friends, at times, not so much.
Layer #1 – sliced potatoes, bleu cheese and seasoning.
The saving grace of this discouraging six months have been my friendships, both local and virtual. Luckily my besties love me unconditionally and back at ‘em. In this Life, aren’t they the kind to treasure? It’s been a scary season of patch, patch, patch, requiring medical maintenance which translated into dependency and care. To everyone’s credit, friends stepped up, took over, never asking permission and only needed thank you’s.
Just thinking about what I can no longer do is cringe-worthy. Keeping 10 balls in the air anymore? Nope, multi-tasking is over. Gave up biking this summer, erring on the side of caution. I say “No, thank you” more than “Yes” and have 276 emails requiring responses. I don’t pop up at 5 AM anymore, missing birding opportunities. I’m adverse to risk, unwilling to go out on that proverbial limb. My world turns more slowly and, to me, that’s shocking, scary and disappointing.
Layer #2
Some time ago, I stopped to see a friend who had recently lost both her mother and husband. She was, understandably, distraught. “Mary,” she said, tearfully, “I’ve already lost my mother and husband, I don’t want to lose myself.”
This is the first time since Michael died I’m saying that same thing. This blog is about building a courageous Lifestyle following a loss. With a good mind, excellent health and the resources available to me, there have been few bumps until now. Realizing I can do nothing about the aging process and disheartened that I can’t easily adjust to that, I need to change course and figure this out. That, dear Readers,is my winter’s chore.
Layer #3, the topping. Saturate with Cream. It’s ready for the oven.
What I don’t need to figure out is this week’s stunning recipe from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen cookbook. Scalloped Potatoes with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Garlic may be the most delicious side dish I’ve ever featured. It’s decadent, substantial and plays well with roasted poultry or pork and beef main courses. Quick to make and economical to the wallet.
Recommended for Holidays – Scalloped Potatoes with Bleu Cheese and Roasted Garlic.
SCALLOPED POTATOES with BLUE CHEESE & ROASTED GARLIC by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
10 large cloves garlic
Olive oil
3 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the potatoes
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled bleu cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Trim the hard stem ends off the garlic cloves and put them, unpeeled, onto a piece of aluminum foil that’s large enough to envelop them. Drizzle in a small amount of olive oil, close it securely, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, until the cloves are lightly caramelized. (You can do this a few days ahead when you are using the oven for something else.) Leave the oven on and adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven.
3. Remove the garlic from the skins and mash the cloves in a saucepan with a few spoonfuls of the cream to make a paste. Put the saucepan over low heat and add the remaining cream. Heat until warmed through and then set aside.
4. Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Generously butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with sides at least 2 inches high. Put one-third of the potato slices in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one-third of the chives over the potatoes followed by one-third of the bleu cheese. Add another one-third of the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with one-third of the chives and bleu cheese. Add the final layer of potatoes, then pour the cream mixture over them and press down gently to flatten the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on the remaining chives and bleu cheese.
5. Put the gratin dish on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until it’s bubbling and well browned on top. The acidic cheese may cause the cream to separate a little bit, which is normal.
TIP: 1) I used my OXO mandoline, set at 1/4”, to slice the potatoes. Slicing them took less than 15 minutes. 2) I didn’t peel my potatoes, leaving the skin on each slice.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE.
A pair of Merriam wild turkeys are roosting in the cottonwoods at The Gant at night. Wild turkeys are cunning, wary birds with excellent eyesight.
