Philosophy for Breakfast

I find that mornings are the best time for my brain to wander through the esoteric thought jungle. Not yet plagued by worries of the day, I turn over in bed and look out the old glass in the window - something about the way the light plays through the branches is so inspiring. 

I breakfasted on fresh melon, strawberries, and chocolate this morning - seemingly decadent yet effortless and refreshing. The way life should be I believe. And why not? What is stopping us each from living the lives we truly want? If you say Time - we all have the same amount of time. If you say Money - what brings happiness in life is not material which can be bought. If you say Fear of Change - that I believe. But that can also be addressed, and overcome.

When I find myself sad, I do the following: 

• I sometimes have chocolate for breakfast. 
• I wear my good jewelry.
• I listen to the birds.
• I practice Yoga.
• I find meaning in my work.
• I laugh.
• I read things like If--, and What Constitutes Success

When you find your head swimming, or you've had scary dreams about zombies, or work is an overwhelming chore - have a little philosophy for breakfast. It's sure to set you on a happy course for the day!

Gratitude, & some Southern cookin'

An often overlooked, though very necessary, step to achieving happiness is bringing your attention to everything you've go to be happy about!

I use the Gratitude Journal app from happytapper now as it is an easy reminder. Nothing beats paper...but I try not to fight progress.  :)

It is in the spirit of gratitude that I write about my most recent culinary adventure. I had two wonderful people over my house the other night and wanted to give them more than boxed pasta and a jar of sauce. Wracking my brains in the bulk beans aisle, I had a moment of enlightenment and decided to treat them to some good old fashioned Italian-American Southern home cooking.

The menu:

Cornbread (the rustic kind. no sugar. no corn chunks.)

1 ½ c yellow cornmeal 

1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 scant tsp sea salt
1 egg lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk (or soured regular milk, or just regular milk. any %.)
2 tbsp olive oil (or bacon drippings)

* Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
* Put the oil in a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven while it preheats.
* Mix together dry ingredients. Whisk egg and buttermilk together. Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

* Take cast iron skillet out of oven. Pour the hot oil into batter and mix.
* Pour batter into cast iron skillet, bake in oven for 20 minutes - or until cornbread is brown on top and pulling away from the sides of the skillet. 

*Serve warm, with real butter.

Beans n' Greens

This is both a traditional Italian, and Southern, dish. Any bean with any green works really - experiment! The foundation is always the same:

* In a heavy bottomed pot or skillet, warm a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook 1 chopped onion and a few smashed and chopped garlic cloves until translucent and fragrant. 

* Add fresh or frozen greens, toss with the oil, and cook until crisp-tender and bright green.

* Add can or two of beans - only add the juices from one can (try to get NO Salt Added)

* Simmer gently until all the flavors combine- 5-10 minutes.

I used chopped leftover Easter ham in with the oil, onion and garlic, with kidney beans and a whole pot full of fresh kale.

Mac n' Cheese

A classic - prepared classically. Boiled macaroni noodles, into a casserole dish with about a cup of shredded cheddar and fresh parmesan-reggiano, with ½ cup buttermilk and a little powdered milk to help make the roux come together. Basil, oregano, black pepper, & a pinch of sea salt. Panko breadcrumbs on the top. Baked with the cornbread when the bread had about 10 minutes left.

(Trick: heat butter in a pan, add a spoon of flour and mix it together. Then slowly whisk in your milk. This should make a sort of gravy. Add your shredded cheeses to this and it'll all melt together into a cream sauce, rather than milk+cheese bits!)

All together - a success. Many thanks to my company and my cast iron skillets!

Love,

E

What makes You happy?

The greatest service we can each do ourselves is to bring life back to basics sometimes. It is so painfully easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day, and even easier to let our minds race and wander and fill until we wonder why the room is spinning. These past few weeks I've been working very hard to bring life back to it's foundation - concerns about the direction I'm going and whether or not I'm doing this for the right reasons have had me pretty uptight. I've had a tremendous unspoken fear of making decisions based on what I want to do versus what everyone else wants or thinks is a good idea. What if I'm wrong? What if I change my mind? Surely a consensus is better than a single vote! The more opinions the better! ....Wrong. In the end, I realized I'd rather do what I want, and maybe decide later I'd rather do something else but deal with that if it comes, than live my life for everyone (or anyone) else. No one is as invested in your life as you are. And no one else has to live it. Don't clog up your greatest tool with speculation and worry. Step back, try to see the mural instead of a single brick, and remember who it is you're trying to be and what you're working for.

I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. - Mark Twain

We all have the exact same amount of time each day. What do you do with yours?

Cook a new recipe. Read a new book. Paint something. Build something. Play an instrument. Go for a walk (outside). Learn the names of sidewalk weeds. Watch the sun rise. Listen to your breath for five minutes. Call a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Write a letter. Contemplate a poem. Balance your budget. Pick wildflowers. Have a picnic. Play a boardgame. Play tag. Go to a yard sale. Visit a farm. Make waffles. Go to a library. Go to a store you've never been to. Have a movie night. Have a sleepover. Fly a kite. .......

Chocolate Chip Cookies & a mini-makeover

Like the show Dinner and a Movie-- my friend Julie came over and we went back and forth from baking cookies to getting her dolled up, and chatted about life in between scenes. So fun! 

(We also had tea and crumpets - just about my favorite thing ever. Especially while sitting in the "Eat, Pray, Love corner" of my kitchen; a sweet little alcove with iron & mosaic chairs, a robin's egg tablecloth over a round table with a bamboo plant and my teapot collection, and surrounded by memorabilia from friends and travels. Thanks to Vina for naming it!)

I've been making chocolate chip cookies using this recipe since I was twelve. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a good texture that can withstand a hearty milk dunking! 

In recent years, I have made one change: the switch from chips to chunks. I love the dichotomy between the chocolate and the cookie and using chunks helps to highlight the separation - i.e. more chocolatey goodness concentrated into little pools in each bite of cookie! Especially wonderful warm out of the oven...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Into a mixing bowl: 2 sticks of good butter, 2 extra large eggs, 2 tsp good vanilla extract, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup white sugar, 1 packed cup dark brown sugar. Blend on low until mixed, then on medium for a minute or two until light and creamy. Don't blend so much that you lose the sugar granules though! I've found that makes for flat lifeless cookies.
2. Add 3 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in one 12 oz. bags of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks. (Milk chocolate makes the cookies overwhelmingly sweet). 

3. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. 

This makes about 21 palm-sized cookies for me. Let them cool in a non-drafty place so they don't flatten, and cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.

(yes that's an alligator in the bamboo/pathos jungle - his name is Charlemagne.)

*Of note - I try not to use plastic for anything except the occasional silicone spatula. I mix, cook, and store everything in stainless steel, glass, or porcelain as much as is possible.

Sopaipillas con Pollo y Frijoles

If you want an easy recipe that makes a big impression - this is a great one!

A traditional dish of New Mexico and throughout South America, Sopaipillas translates as "little fritters". A form of fried dough, it is a variation on a theme popular throughout the world. You can buy sopaipilla mix at most supermarkets now, I used the brand Valencia- a bag I bought when I was in New Mexico living with some family friends for a while.(What a wonderful time - so much delicious food and culture!)

The special thing about this fried dough is that, if done right, the fritters should take on the shape of their nickname - "little pillows"!

To make sopaipillas:

The mix is kneaded with water to make a smooth dough and left to rise for 30 minutes. It won't double in size the way a yeast bread will, but you should notice an increase in the springiness of the dough.

Lightly flour your work surface. Cut the dough ball into fourths for ease of working, and roll out to 1/8th inch thickness. Cut the rolled dough into the size of the pillows you want - I cut them into 4, so 2 cups of mix yielded 16 pieces. 

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a pan (more if you want, or you can use a deep fryer, but it's not necessary). When the oil begins to smoke (make sure you have a vent fan on over the stove!) - gently lay each piece of dough into the hot oil. They puffed the best for me when I didn't disturb them - just lay them in, and watch the magic happen! They puff completely in less than 30 seconds. Let them stay on that side until browned, then flip over and brown the other sides. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to flip them - tongs may flatten them. Lay them on a few layers of paper towels to drain off the extra oil and start a new batch!

The whole process, after the 30 minute rise/rest period, only takes 6-10 minutes.

While the dough was resting....I made the filling. Sopaipillas are so popular and ingrained in New Mexico cuisine because the oiled dough helps to cut the heat of the traditional chile dishes. To further capitalize on this quality, they are typically served with a jar of honey as well since sugar also helps to cut heat and make dishes more palatable.

To make the filling:

You may use chicken or pork for this. 

In a pot with a little oil (I use olive oil for everything) and the burner on medium high, put in corn and chopped bell peppers in equal ratio with the amount of meat you are using - chop the meat into chunks before adding. Add a packet of taco seasoning, green or red chile powder, and a dried poblano pepper. Cover with water and bring to a quick boil. Turn the heat down until its rolling along at a nice simmer and let it cook for at least 30 minutes. The longer you cook it, the easier it is to shred the meat which makes the filling much more delicious and easy to stuff into the sopaipillas. The chiles, corn, and peppers make this a wonderful, aromatic, colorful dish!

I heated up some refried beans as well.

Serve up your sopaipillas hot out of the pan, piled high in a basket for impressive presentation- and encourage your guests to open the fritters and stuff them with pollo y frijoles (chicken and beans)! Don't forget the honey - it makes a great dessert when drizzled into leftover sopaipillas without the meat filling. 

(Note - if you are planning on serving more than two people you'll need to make more dough. It's easy to eat a lot of these! Plan on about 1 cup of mix per person.)

Much Love,

Elizabeth ^_^

Shrimp and Sea Scallop Orecchiette

After the walk back from the library through the chilling rain, I was crying out for something warming and reminiscent of sunshine. Shrimp always reminds me of hanging with my dad on the Outer Banks - heading up to Carawan's for fresh seafood to compliment veggies from his garden. Unless of course we caught mullet that day...but I'll save the fresh fish tacos recipe for when I'm down there making them with him!

So today it's shrimps with scallops, tossed with orecciette (oh-raykh-ee-eht-ay) and zucchini in a tomato parmesean sauce. Yum.

1. Cook the orecchiette as you would any dry pasta - in a pot with plenty of well-salted water at a rolling boil, until al dente (done, but still firm and holding its texture). 
2. Once done, drain the water, add tomato based sauce of your choosing (I had a Cabernet marinara on hand), along with peeled and de-veined shrimp and scallops (raw) and slices of zucchini or other green vegetable. 
3. Cover and cook on medium until the shrimp are that pretty sunset color and opaque throughout. 
4. Turn off the heat, Add freshly grated parmesean and basil (dry or fresh) to taste, and let the flavors blend and the dish cool for five minutes.
5. Serve with a hearty bread and olive oil - and, as always, enjoy with friends if possible.

 

Bon Appétit!

With Love,
Elizabeth

A day of experiments

It's been a quiet day in this little apartment, though I did manage to convince myself to go for a run by the river earlier in the afternoon. I am currently enjoying my dinner with a glass of red as I write this.

Experimentation is sometimes a necessity- for instance when the pantry has a paucity of readily preparable goods. Things I had: a can of oysters, a tin of sardines in oil, half a green cabbage, some potatoes and onions, frozen greens, tomatoes, and fruits. Strange assortment, you say? I took it as a challenge. I cracked open my Silver Spoon cookbook and set my imagination to work...

Lunch: Curried Oysters over grits

I was skeptical...it was delicious.

Can of oysters (small can) went into a pot with a few good shakes of curry powder, and about 1 cup of frozen greens (I used collards). I put the grits in a bowl with water and microwaved it for about 4 minutes. Pour curried oysters over the grits - done. Seriously - it was delicious.
(omit grits to keep it paleo. maybe riced cauliflower?)

Dinner: Potatoes with Anchovies and Cabbage

Also delicious. Very buttery with the strong cabbage and anchovy flavors absorbed and mellowed by the potato.

Anchovies went into the pot with a little more olive oil, and about 1/4 of the cabbage shredded, 1 chopped onion, and 1 chopped red potato.

Add a good 2 tablespoons of parsley, 2-3 cloves of garlic, and a splash of sherry or dry white wine.

Cook over medium until the potatoes are soft.

Salad:

Grape tomatoes, freshly sliced parmigiana cheese, splashes of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with a pinch of basil I dried myself last Fall when my poor plant died from want of love (and water). The flavor is much stronger than the store bought dried basil.

Finally, I had about 1/4 of a cabbage left and I was tired of seeing it in my fridge, so I made Cabbage Chips.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Separate out the leaves of a cabbage (green or red, though Kale works even better for this) and cut in half or quarters - the size of the 'chips' you want.

Arrange them on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil (easier than trying to brush them) and bake for 20 minutes or so. Keep an eye on them. They are done when they brown a bit and are crunchy, like chips! Sprinkle the warm leaves with a pinch of sea salt. Wonderful healthy snack!

That was all my fun for the day - study time now!