by Krista | Jul 2, 2010 | Fabulous Friday
Good morning, dear ones!
Well, I’m supposed to be sound asleep but I can’t because I’m too excited!! I just had my first guest post at Travel Belles and am tickled pink! It’s all about a lovely villa some friends and I discovered in the mountains of southern Italy. If you’re interested in such things, I’d love it if you’d pop over and leave a comment. You can find it here. If not, no worries! Here’s a sample photo of what you’ll see there.
Do you have special plans for this weekend? Somehow it crept up on me and I clean forgot that I have Monday off! HOORAY! What a glorious thing to have a whole extra day off. My mind is whirling with marvy things to do, mostly of the utterly lazy, beautifully cozy variety since it is oh so dark and rainy.
I’ll pop over to my folks for a cheery visit and stroll through my Mum’s wonderfully peaceful garden.
Perhaps I’ll actually finish one of the five books I have going all at once! They’re all so good I can’t stick with just one. 🙂 I’m rather excited at the prospect of sleeping in and have the John Adams DVD’s to watch and dear friends to meet for coffee and lovely toasted beef sandwiches with chevre. Mmmm.
Sunday evening my cooking group is getting together for a jolly time of good eating and hunting down the best fireworks in Bellingham. I can’t wait!
Today is Myscha is hosting Happy Hour Friday over at WEBESHARIN and since it’s oh so cold and dreary today, I’m contributing Irish Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon Cream. It’s so warm and creamy and delectable, it chases dreariness right out the window!
I wish you a beautiful weekend, dear folks! I will see you next week.
Krista’s Irish Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
1 packet hot chocolate mix
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp Irish Cream
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp agave syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
- Combine hot chocolate mix, hot water, coconut milk and Irish Cream.
- Whip heavy cream with agave syrup and cinnamon until soft peaks form.
- Spoon cream on top of hot chocolate and sprinkle with cinnamon.
by Krista | Jul 1, 2010 | Literary Nibbles
I adore good illustrations.
My bookshelves are filled with books featuring the exquisite renderings of artists old and young, dead and alive, Russian and British. I love them all.
As a wee lass, my favorite illustrated books were from the brilliant Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem. I would curl up in a cozy nook holding the books close to my face so I could take in every detail of the amazing world she created. From the lush hangings on a canopied bed and adorable mice to the intricate workings of the Store Stump and finely wrought berry bushes, I was mesmerized.
I’m still in awe of her work. The attention she pays to every swoosh of fabric, fold of petal, and groove of woodwork is truly magnificent.
I could never hope to match her prowess in this area, but in homage to the years of inspiration and delight she’s given me, I thought I’d illustrate this blog post with my own humble doodles.
Throughout her books, Barklem highlights simple events in the lives of her mice: a winter ball, a young girl getting lost, a wedding. In each one she features the old-fashioned foods they loved. Everything was made from scratch using the ingredients found in the woods, meadows and fields where they lived: Chestnuts, berries, dandelions.
They roasted apples over open flame, baked lavish cakes, and brewed their own flower wine. I was enchanted by all of it, but especially by something called syllabubs. It was a strange and wonderful word to this Canadian girl, but I had absolutely no idea what it was. A cheese? Soup? Some sort of drink?
Finally last week I researched it and found it was none of the above. It is, in fact, a lovely, airy concoction of cream, some sort of alcohol, and sugar. I was surprised and delighted and last night I made my very first syllabubs.
I whipped heavy cream and agave syrup until soft peaks formed.
Zested and juiced a lemon,
measured out white wine,
and blended them into the cream, whipping it again until soft peaks returned.
Topped with a sprig of fresh mint it was a lusciously light and perky dessert, a splendid follow-up to a dinner of Lime-Walnut Crusted Flounder and Irish Mashed Potatoes.
Next time I want to make a posset. 🙂
Did any of you read Brambly Hedge? Is there a dish you were intrigued by as a child?
Lemony Syllabub
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
2-3 Tbsp agave syrup
1/4 cup chardonnay or similar white wine
Juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
Fresh mint leaves to garnish
Directions:
- Whip cream and agave until soft peaks form.
- Add wine, lemon juice and zest and beat until soft peaks form again.
- Spoon into glasses or small dishes, garnish with mint leaves and chill until ready to serve.
by Krista | Jun 30, 2010 | Compatriot Wednesday
 It was so good to be back with my cooking group this week. To see their dear faces, hear their crazy stories, and join in with everyone jolly and bustling in the kitchen whipping up delectable Mediterranean fare.
With glasses of red wine at hand, we churned out one dish after another. Darren made creamy regular hummus and roasted red pepper hummus, now known collectively as “The Best Hummus In The Whole World.” NOTE: This must be said with great exuberance and enthusiasm, preferably with arms flung wide.
Selwyn made a sprightly tapenade that went beautifully with the hummus.
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I made white bean crostini: white beans pureed with garlic, onion, rosemary and olive oil topped with sea salt and spread on blue cheese jalapeno bread rubbed with garlic.
Jenny made one of the best Greek salads I’ve ever had! Filled with all the usual red onion, cucumber, tomato and feta, she worked her magic and added dill and who knows what all to make it special. Â
Toby made his own witches brew couscous adding a little of this and a little of that until he had a savory, spiced dish that was a perfect foil for the main entree.
Jon had slow-cooked a leg of lamb in all manner of deliciousness for 12 hours. The result was a heavenly scented, cut-with-your-finger-tender meat that we piled on Deb’s gluten-free pitas and topped with Jon’s cool tzatziki.
We ended things with Don’s amazing and killer Lemon Drop Martinis, perfectly sour with a sugared rim. Twas a grand evening. 🙂
Jenny’s Cucumber and Feta Salad
(Adapted from David Lebovitz’s blog and Joanne Weir’s From Tapas to Meze)
Ingredients
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into pea-sized pieces
coarse salt
8 ounces feta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and finely-diced
1 tablespoon (each) chopped fresh mint, parsley and fresh dill
Directions:
- Put cucumber in bowl, mix with bit of salt, and let drain 30 minutes to an hour, shaking the colander from time to time.
- Crumble the feta into a bowl and smoosh with olive oil, lemon juice, water, and a bit of black pepper.
- Fold in cucumbers, onions, and herbs. Taste for seasonings and serve.
Krista’s White Bean Crostini
Ingredients:
1 bag white beans, cooked or 2 cans
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, grated
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil
One baguette, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, halved
Directions:
- Add beans and cooking liquid to pan with garlic, onion, and rosemary. Bring to boil and simmer for ten minutes.
- Drain and cool.
- Place in food processor and add 1/4 or more olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Whir until smooth.
- Toast baguette slices and rub with garlic. Top with bean spread and sprinkle with sea salt.
Jon’s Leg of Lamb
Place Boneless Leg of Lamb into crock pot.
Add in a handful of fresh mint leaves, a heaping teaspoon of Oregano, a couple pinches of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper.
Pour approximately 1 cup of Balsamic Vinegar into pot.
Chop 1 onion and add to pot.
Fill with water to just cover meat.
Directions:
Let it marinade overnight, then cook whilst at work the next day.
Jon’s Tzaziki
1 cup greek yogurt
1 cup sour cream
4 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dill
pinch of salt and pepper
2 cucumbers, peeled and finely diced
1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Combine yogurt and sour cream in one dish, and all the other ingredients in another. Stir each, combine, and chill for two hours.
by Krista | Jun 29, 2010 | Spring
Storm clouds loomed threateningly above Mostar, Bosnia and winds whipped flags and awnings as we walked cobbled streets towards Stari Most, an ancient bridge destroyed during the Bosnian conflict in the 90’s and rebuilt.
Before it was sent crashing into the Neretva River, Stari Most had stood for 427 years. Nearly from the beginning, the bridge was irresistible to divers who wanted to show their bravery by plummeting into the frigid river below. The first recorded jump was in 1664, and in 1968 a formal diving competition was formed and held every summer until war made it impossible. Diving has resumed at Stari Most, and I hope it will continue for another 427 years.
As we approached Stari Most, we passed this intriguing gentleman who hollered warnings about the end of the world as he strode through Old Town Mostar. He made quite the dramatic figure all in white, his gray hair flying in the wind as he shouted.
The stones were slick under my sandals and I held on tight to the railing as we walked up the steep incline to the other side.
I loved looking at the city from Stari Most. The rumble of thunder, black clouds and strange sunlight made for a gripping vista.
We lingered awhile until suddenly the sunlight disappeared, the heavens opened and raindrops the size of large grapes pelted us with fury. Dry streets were rivers in minutes and we laughed in disbelief as water streamed off us, utterly drenching hair and clothes before we could find shelter. We splashed our way to the van, not even attempting to avoid puddles, and arrived soaked, dripping and laughing like mad.
It would’ve been the perfect night for Bosnian Spinach Pie. Similar to Greek Spanikopita, this phyllo pie features olive oil instead of butter, and a mixture of cheddar and feta cheeses. It also has a topping of sour cream and milk that keeps the pastry soft instead of brittle. It’s my new favorite thing.
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This is my contribution to Wanderfood Wednesday hosted by the lovely Beth.
Bosnian Spinach Pie
Ingredients:
1 package thawed phyllo pastry sheet
2 bags washed fresh spinach
2 medium eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Wash and drain spinach. Chop and place in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss until incorporated.
- Let spinach rest for 10-20 minutes.
- Squeeze excess water from spinach and transfer to glass bowl.
- Add eggs, sourcream, feta and cheddar. Mix well. Set aside.
- Grease 9″ by 13″ pan with olive oil. Lay one sheet in bottom (won’t fit exactly, but just press one layer) brush
- with olive oil. Fold over excess dough and brush with olive oil. Repeat with 3-4 sheets.
- Add third of filling and spread over oiled phyllo.
- Top with sheet of phyllo and brush with olive oil. Repeat with three sheets.
- Add next third of filling, three more sheets of phyllo, remainder of filling, and top with final 2-3 layers of phyllo,
- each layer brushed with olive oil.
- Place in oven and bake 45 minutes.
- Combine milk and sour cream. When timer goes off, pour over pie and bake another 15 minutes.
by Krista | Jun 28, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, dear ones!
I’m happily writing you today from an astonishingly tidy house. It was the scene of much mayhem this weekend as I decided the time had come to rearrange everything and make my apartment more conducive to hospitality and creativity. As you can imagine, such a venture resulted in utter disarray and chaos before order was restored, but it was worth it!!
Mums came over and helped me with the heavy bits and we got it set up just right. Then I parked myself among the stacks of papers, piles of boxes and mounds of who-knows-what-all to have a think. I’ve been stressed and overwhelmed lately, and it was time to settle down, be still, and work out a plan.
Gorgeous flowers on Mum’s table.
It was so good for me. Taking those hours to think through my life, goals, hopes, frustrations, talents, weaknesses, knowledge, ignorance, fears, bravery. I still have some things to sort through, I think I always will, but today I feel purposeful instead of harried, focused rather than distracted, peaceful not flustered.
I have a plan, it’s a good plan, and, as a dear friend always tells me, “if you change your mind tomorrow, that will be good too.” Yes it will. 🙂
I did a lot of cooking this weekend, some complicated, new recipes and other simple, stand-by dishes like Chiffonade Lime Brussels Sprouts. I first made it several years ago when I was trying to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into my diet, and it quickly became a favorite.
I was used to eating Brussels Sprouts whole, so I thought this Chiffonade version would be an interesting change. Chiffonade refers to stacking leafy herbs or greens, rolling them tightly, then slicing the roll thinly into little strips. Since Brussels Sprouts are naturally tightly layered, it is quick work to cut them in half then into small strips. I love how some of the strips get caramelized in the butter and lime – mmm. It’s not a pretty dish, but is healthy, fortifying and tasty.
What is one thing you do to stay stress-free and organized, my friends?
This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays. Pop over and discover other vegetarian dishes.
Chiffonade Lime Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
2 cups Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and washed
3-4 Tbsp butter
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Cut each sprout in half, then cut in narrow strips.
- Melt butter in saucepan and add sprout strips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until sprouts begin to brown. Stir in lime juice and remove from heat. Serve warm.
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