tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54136154857930188192024-03-13T16:35:57.067+01:00housetohausTalleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-18188809934657606912014-11-16T21:07:00.001+01:002014-11-16T21:07:13.129+01:00cream cheese (crack) cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I ate my first cream cheese cookie in the company of a two day old baby named Etta. A flock of us had descended on the new mom and her sweet new baby girl while they were in the hospital, recuperating and getting acquainted, and as it goes with welcoming parties, there were cookies. I brought <a href="http://housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2011/10/whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">whole wheat chocolate chip cookies</a> with walnuts and my friend Katie brought these cream cheese cookies, baked on a whim after spotting them online. The whole wheat cookies were good, as they always are, but the cream cheese cookies were noteworthy with a familiar flavor and comforting gooey center wrapped by a crisp outer edge. It was, we agreed, a freaking awesome cookie. We named them crack cookies (as it turns out many of the commenters of <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/14625-cream-cheese-cookies">Food52</a> did too) and set in to eat the rest of the parchment-protected layers of cookies while we listened intently to the story of Etta's arrival. </div>
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It was a moment I think of often. The colors that accompany the memory are white and blue, white for the snow outside and the crisp sheets inside, and blue for the bean filled breast feeding pillow that was tucked between new mom and new baby. There were seven of us crammed in little room. Those were my people, my expat family, enjoying the arrival of a new member. And another three of us were pregnant. We were growing a community from scratch, right here in Zürich. A community with killer good cookies. </div>
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The thing with expat communities is that they unravel, it's their nature. People arrive with no real idea of how long they'll stay, but they know it's not forever, and that one day they'll leave. Shortly after that hospital room snow-globe-moment the leaving started. First it was April and Bryan and little Etta, then it was Katie, then Jenna and Felix, then Lindsay and James, then <a href="http://housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/03/awe-and-wonder.html">Laura and Paul</a>, and then Allie and Dan, and with all of them a little piece of my commitment to Zürich and life as an expat. I feel like a Jenga piece at the top of the tower after too many pieces have been pulled out beneath. It's wobbly up here as I lean towards loving Zürich and then quickly towards wanting to leave. </div>
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It's hard being left behind. At least that's how it feels, that as our friends move on to a new adventure, a new life, that we are left in their wake. I'm still struggling to make my way in this city without them. Those of us that remain have made new friends and I'm grateful for that, but there's something special about "the originals," as I think of them. We all arrived at the same time so there was no need to try and integrate into an already existing group, we inaugurated the group. Our friendships were natural and they happened quickly because we were desperate to grab onto anyone who understood our new identity as an expat. The friendships I make now take more effort, mostly because Alice makes it hard to get out to meet new friends, but that said, there are friends who have easily slipped into my life and I made one of them these cookies last week. I wrapped them in parchment and took them to her and her new baby, tucked into a room just down the hall from where we welcomed Etta and ate cookies.</div>
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I guess this is all just to say that life goes on, the community changes, and it's hard, but the cookies are good and they stay put. Oh, and that I have no idea how much longer we'll be here and it's beginning to grate on me. </div>
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These cookies are <i>good</i>. They taste, how can I say it, familiar? It swear I've had a cookie that tastes just like it, but I can't come up with it. Zach says they taste like cotton candy. One friend says they taste a bit like coconut, and another said they taste like a mix between Nilla Wafers and ginger snaps. What I can tell you is that they don't taste like cream cheese, not at all. The cream cheese manages to bring the best out of the flour, sugar and butter. And I believe it has everything to do with the delicious texture change from crisp edge to soft middle.<br />
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According to the pictures on Food 52 they are supposed to be a bit more lofty in the middle. I read through the comments and it seems like it's important to use Philadelphia Cream Cheese to ensure that they keep a hump in the middle, which I did, but perhaps the cream cheese is different in Switzerland. This is just to say that your cookie might not be as flat, but they will be good.<br />
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<b>Cream Cheese Cookies </b><br />
<a href="http://food52.com/recipes/14625-cream-cheese-cookies">from Food52</a><br />
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8 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
3 ounces cream cheese<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. In an stand mixer cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in the flour and salt until just incorporated.<br />
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Use a tablespoon to measure out the dough onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets, leaving room between cookies because they spread. Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy. Be sure not to over bake, otherwise the middles won't be chewy. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer them with a spatula to a wire cooling rack.<br />
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-43787073707319704902014-11-08T22:29:00.000+01:002014-11-08T22:29:54.906+01:00Birchermüesli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In our house Birchermüesli is part breakfast and part sanity savior. That is to say, it's a sure thing. And sure things when it comes to feeding a toddler are worthy of a pedestal and entire shelf in the refrigerator. I know, it sounds like I'm at risk of feeding her peanut butter and jelly until she goes to college, but don't worry, I won't let it come to that. I offer her new food and lots of vegetables everyday, but it's just that on any given day I don't know what she'll eat and what she'll spit out. Peas can go either way, so can broccoli, and oatmeal, and even toast. There's no logic to it and it's maddening. I try to check my hope and frustration at the kitchen sink with the dirty dishes, but it's tough when you're feeding a child who recently developed a stubborn streak. And besides, feeding her is a big part of being her mom, and it has been from the beginning. Back in those itsy bitsy days it felt like it was all I did, but I did it well, we made a good team. Now, not so much. And what am I supposed to do? Stop trying? No, obviously not, and that's where the Birchermüesli comes in, because on any given day, whether she eats everything or spits everything out, I know that at least she'll have a good breakfast and that's a place to start. </div>
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I've been meaning to tell you about Birchermüesli for awhile now. Really ever since we discovered it four years ago. At one point there was a grand plan in place sample all the muesli in town to find the best one, but that never transpired and I'm certainly not about to schlep a wiggly toddler all around town anytime soon. And besides we've settled on a favorite and it happens to be from the bakery a few blocks away from our apartment. It is so easy to pick it up on our walk to or from home that I rarely make it and I don't actually know if many Swiss do make it at home because it's so readily available out, perhaps a bit like the baguette in France - why bake it when you can buy it better? However, recently the price has been getting to me as has the fact that it has cream mixed in, which seems like a bit of a luxury for everyday consumption, especially since I have no idea how much, so I started making it at home. And it's good. We all agree. Or at least Zach and I agree, and Alice eats it. </div>
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Before we get under way I think it's important to note the differences between Birchermüesli and it's close relative müsli; Birchermüesli is a mixture of oats, yogurt, and fruit soaked overnight to create a creamy and dense yogurt oatmeal of sorts and müsli is a dry mix of cereal grains, seeds, and dried fruits that is eaten with milk or sprinkled on yogurt. You can use a müsli mix to make Birchermüesli, although I don't. Birchermüesli can take on a lot of different variations, and there are more than a handful of different ways to prepare it, but I'm partial to the way the bakery down the street makes it so that is the route I've taken at home. </div>
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So what it is about the neighborhood bakery's Birchermüesli that we like? Well it's thick and hefty and packed with fruit. It's also relatively simple, with a base of plain yogurt, rolled oats and grated apple. From there fruit is added, whole blueberries and raspberries, and sliced pear and banana. A sprinkle of seeds and nuts is added with a delicate hand and then a dash of milk, or in their case cream (maybe even whipped cream because it's so lofty and airy) it is all mixed and then left to mingle together while the oats absorb the liquid from the yogurt and fruit. It's a complete breakfast, healthy and fortifying, and delicious. </div>
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There's a bit of history around Birchermüesli, which is that it was developed by a Swiss physician, Max Bircher-Benner around 1900, in an effort to get his patients to move away from the overly heavy meat and potatoes diet of the day and towards one based on raw fruit. During that time Switzerland was well known for it's sanatoriums and wellness retreats that offered fresh alpine air, sun, and healthy food. From what I can tell Benner-Bircher's original muesli was made with water instead of yogurt, but based on all the Birchermüesli we've sampled at hotels and cafes while living here, it seems as though yogurt is a more common base these days. </div>
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Birchermüesli is adaptable to your preferences. You can adjust the amount of fruit or oats, or add nuts and seeds. (I don't add nuts because Alice isn't a fan, but hazelnuts and sunflower seeds are common additions.) The yogurt could also be replaced with milk or almond milk for a soupier variety. It's up to you, but I think the recipe that follows is a good place to start and then you can change it up. </div>
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<i>Birchermüesli</i></div>
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2 cups plain yogurt </div>
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3/4 cup quick cooking oats</div>
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2 apples</div>
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1 pear</div>
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1 banana</div>
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3/4 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen defrost)</div>
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1/4 cup milk</div>
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1 tablespoon maple syrup. </div>
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Dice the pear, slice the banana, and grate the apple with the skin on and put them in a big bowl. Mix in the yogurt, oats, raspberries, milk, and maple syrup and stir until combined. Pour the mixture into a container and place it in the fridge to sit overnight, or at least six hours. Enjoy within a few days. </div>
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-43905517555143169942014-10-23T16:23:00.001+02:002014-10-23T16:23:10.249+02:00alpine escape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm sitting in an Italian style espresso bar, by myself (!!!!) enjoying a latte machiatto with a dense foam top dusted with an entire packet of sugar. It only looks like a dusting because half of the packet slipped down a little well in the middle of the foam and settled to the bottom of the glass. That will be a nice last sip, like melted coffee ice cream. </div>
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I should be drinking iced tea - not that they have any here - because that is what I'm going to tell you about in this post, how iced tea helps reinvigorate me when I'm alone, but after panicking over a wallet that was lost and then found (with the cards, but none of the cash), caffeine was on call this afternoon. And, <i>ooo eee</i>, it tastes good. </div>
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A L O N E. Not a state I find myself in very often. Yes, I have some time to myself when Alice is sleeping or Zach is home on the weekends, but that isn't really alone time, when she's just around the corner snoozing and threatening to wake up just as I'm in the middle of something really productive. Up until recently we didn't have a babysitter and it was me and Alice, mano y mano, everyday, all day. I love her to pieces and I miss her when she naps, but man it's tough some days to be on and ready to sing and dance and weather playgrounds in the cold. Now, thankfully, we have a wonderful babysitter who steps in on Thursday afternoons to entertain our babe and give me a break. Thank heaven for little girls, and thank heaven for babysitters. </div>
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Now, let's' chat about iced tea. In one of those sacred alone moments discussed above, in August, when we were in Zermatt with my parents and Alice was napping, Zach and I hiked up from town to <a href="http://www.edelweiss-zermatt.ch/en/index.htm">Pension Edelweiss</a>, which is perched, awfully precariously, over town. (Somehow even though I was with Zach, the absence of Alice, made me feel very much alone) The hike is straight up. We huffed and puffed the entire way up and leaned a little too heavily on our hiking poles, but we made it and the little peach hut with red umbrellas was a welcome site. We grabbed a table right on the edge and ordered what can only be considered a reward for our efforts. Zach got a fried egg with ham on toast and a cappuccino, and I ordered an apricot tart and an iced tea. Homemade, the iced tea was amber in color and chilled, and amazingly refreshing. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, but it was definitely sweet, sweetened with what tasted like a bit of orange juice and sugar. I don't sweeten hot tea. The temperature captures the senses enough to negate the need for sugar. But the coldness of iced tea on the other hand can make the tea taste strong and bitter. If you're going to sweeten it, which I think you should, it's best to add the sugar while the water is boiling and the tea bags are seeping, that way it fully dissolves and you aren't left sipping sugar granules. </div>
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I wish I could tell you about the apricot tart, which is supposedly what the Pension Edelweiss is known for, but it was attacked by bees within seconds of landing on our table and we had to set it on another table far, far away. </div>
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After our hike in Zermatt the next time I found myself alone, this time truly alone, was a couple of weeks ago. Alice was with the babysitter and I set out to rediscover the Zürich I knew and loved before Alice was born, which really just meant heading to one of my favorite cafes for some quiet time with a book. The weather was amazing, as all Indian summer days are, and there was a free bench so I sat down with my face in the sun and took in the scene, which is when I spotted a woman drinking an iced tea and I knew I had to have one. Actually, I ended up having two. Once again, the tea was sweetened, perfectly, and I was refreshed, mostly mentally, but also physically. Eager to recreate this feeling at home I asked the waitress how they made their tea and she willing told me that they use the Bio Alpkräutertee (organic alpine herb tee) from Coop (one of the two main grocery stores here) and let it simmer with mint, orange and lemon and a bit of sugar. I found the tea, I bought the mint, lemon and orange, and I think I managed a damn good replication at home. </div>
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* As I mentioned the tea I used is the Bio Alpkräutertee from Coop, which is great if you live in Switzerland, but if you don't try and look for an herbal tea. This one has mint, lemon balm, verbena, Lady's Mantle, chamomile, sage, thyme, and nettle. </div>
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* This recipe is for one large mason jar, about 1 liter</div>
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- 4 tea bags</div>
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- one orange, cut in half, one half juiced and the other sliced</div>
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- 3 tablespoons of sugar</div>
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- one lemon, sliced</div>
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- a few springs of mint </div>
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Place the tea bags and sugar in a large mason jar (or pitcher of equivalent size) and pour in the boiling water and orange juice and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add a slice of orange, a slice of lemon, and two sprigs of mint. Let the tea sit for about ten 8 minutes and then remove the tea bags. Let the tea come to room temperature and then place it in the fridge until chilled. Enjoy with a new batch of orange and lemon slices and mint. </div>
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-34455802397318319612014-08-16T12:25:00.000+02:002014-08-16T12:25:28.479+02:00Alice is one : strawberry cream cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alice turned one on August 1st, her golden birthday. We celebrated the weekend before with cake and friends and many many rounds of Happy Birthday. </div>
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A year! My baby! </div>
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I can't say her first birthday blindsided me, because I'd been watching it's steady approach since Alice turned nine months. Nine months was a month of milestones for Alice - she started crawling, stopped breast feeding, lost her spiky hair, and most notably to me, had been on the outside as long as she had been on the inside. I was in awe of my little apple seed that was crawling around the aparment. I knew one year would be the next big release of awe and amazement, and I knew it would come quickly, and it did.</div>
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And so here we are, one year and two weeks, and I'm constantly marveling at our baby, who now is mostly certainly more little girl than baby. It's hard to admit that, that she's not a baby anymore, but when she walked into the kitchen yesterday, where I was prepping dinner, with a blankie in one hand and a spoon in the other, it was clear to me that those sweet sleepy baby days, the ones with the tiny clenched fists, and puckered little lips, are behind us. I loved and cherished those early days and a nice big piece of me is sad that they are over. Thankfully she has grown into a delightful little girl, which softens the transition a bit.<br />
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To honor our summer baby I made strawberry cream cake. Alice loves strawberries so I knew those alone would make her happy, and I figured the layers of sponge cake and whipped cream frosting would make the rest of our guests happy. It took a little while to settle on what recipe to use. I'll admit that I felt a lot of pressure around the cake, I wanted to the perfect cake for our first birthday celebration as a family. I leafed through cookbooks and trolled the internet, before remembering that one of my blogging friends,<a href="http://themoveablefeasts.wordpress.com/"> Amy</a>, had made a Cooks Illustrated Strawberry Cream Cake a couple of years ago. I saw her photos and skimmed the recipe, and I knew it was fitting of Alice's first birthday. </div>
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And it was, it was perfect. Each component alone was delicious, but together they were awesome. The cake was light and moist and held it's own under the weight of whipped cream and strawberries. The whipped cream frosting, with added cream cheese for support, was airy and smooth and just the slightest bit sweet, which to me, not being a buttercream fan, are the traits of the perfect icing. And the macerated strawberry filling, amped up with the reduced strawberry juice, brought all of the layers together. It is a cake worth making a tradition out of.</div>
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Strawberry Cream Cake</div>
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via <a href="http://themoveablefeasts.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/strawberry-cream-cake/">Amy</a> via <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/2983-strawberry-cream-cake">Cooks Illustrated</a></div>
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<i>My cake baking skills were not on par leading up to the celebration, which resulted in a bit of a mish-mash cake assembly. I had planned on making a three layer cake by slicing one 9" cake into three layers, but my first cake didn't rise well do to a bad batch of baking powder. I put that cake to the side, and baked a second cake. I cut the first cake down and then cut the second one in two layers. This is just to say that my cake might be a bit taller than yours if you cut one 9" cake into three layers. You can also opt to do what Amy did, which is to bake the cake in two separate pans for a two layer cake. It's really up to you. </i></div>
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<i><br /></i><i>For the smash cake I used about 3/4 of a batch of cake batter and poured the rest into mini cupcake molds. </i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>If you don't have access to cake flour, which I don't, you can make your own. Simply measure out the flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Sift back and forth, between two bowls, at least 5 times. It's annoying, yes, but doable. See further instructions <a href="http://joythebaker.com/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/">here</a>. </i></span></i></div>
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<i><br /></i><i>CAKE</i></div>
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1 1/4 cup cake flour</div>
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</div>
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1/4 teaspoons salt</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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5 large eggs, 2 whole, 3 separated, room temperature</div>
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled</div>
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2 tablespoons water</div>
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div>
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<i><i>STRAWBERRY FILLING</i></i></div>
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2 pounds of fresh strawberries, washed, dried, and stemmed</div>
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4-6 tablespoons sugar</div>
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2 tablespoons Kirsh (optional. use if your strawberries aren't in season/sweet. I didn't use it)</div>
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pinch of salt</div>
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<i><i>WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING</i></i></div>
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8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1 teaspoon vanilla</div>
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pinch of salt</div>
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2 cups heavy whipping cream</div>
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<i>For the cake....</i></div>
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preheat the oven to 325ºF and place the rack in the lower-middle position. Butter and flour a 9" spring form pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit. </div>
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Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks (reserving the whites), the melted butter, water, and vanilla. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth and thick</div>
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In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the 3 egg whites on medium-low speed for about two minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form, about two more minutes. Fold in one third of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites, until there are no white streaks left. Pour the batter in the pan and bake until a tooth pick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for ten minutes and then release the spring side and let it cool completely (a must!), about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. </div>
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For the strawberries....</div>
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While the cake is cooling make the strawberry filling. Halve 24 of the best looking strawberries (8 for each layer) and set aside along with a few whole ones incase that isn't enough. Quarter the remaining berries and mix them in a bowl with 4-6 tablespoons of sugar. Let this sit for one hour, stirring occasionally. </div>
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Strain the juice from the macerated berries and heat over medium high heat in a small saucepan with the Kirsh (if using), until reduced to a syrup, about 3-5 minutes. Put the quartered berries in a food processor for five, one second pulses, or chop with a knife. Pour the syrup over the berries and mix in the salt. </div>
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For the whipped cream frosting</div>
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When the cake has cooled and you are ready to assemble it make the whipped cream frosting. Place the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides a couple times. Reduce the speed to low and add the heavy cream in a slow, steady stream. When it's just about all the way combined increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks, another 1 to 2 minutes. </div>
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To assemble the cake start by cutting the cake into three even layers. Start with one layer on your cake plate and array the halved strawberries around the edge. Pour half of the macerated berries into the center of the cake and spread towards the edges. Next, spread out a layer of whipped cream frosting over the macerated berries and towards the edges of the halved berries, but not fully to the edge of the cake (it will extend once you add the layers on top). Top with the second layer and repeat the process. Add the final and top layer and spread out a layer of frosting and trim with the berries and you're done!</div>
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I wanted Alice to have free reign of her cake, so I decided at the last minute to make a small "smash" cake just for her, which was really a ridiculous idea considering Alice had never had sugar before let alone cake, but it was her <i>birthday, </i>and so I did it anyway. She was much more into poking and dissecting than eating. I think she maybe had one or two bites and then continued with her smashing.</div>
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Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-65754088298941561412014-08-05T21:02:00.000+02:002014-08-05T21:02:14.106+02:00Chicken Marbella<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post is for my friend Jess, who lovingly told me last night to get my ass in gear, cut it with the excuses, because they simply aren't good enough, and to show up and write a blog post. So here I am. Easy as that, except not really because it's already taken me forty-five minutes of typing and deleting to write these two sentences. But the struggle of writing after not writing is worth if if it's true what she says, that I'm wasting my talent. (And she insists that this is a talent.) Tough love is necessary sometimes, ya know?</div>
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I'm going to keep it simple today with a recipe for Chicken Marbella, it's Jess's favorite after all. Jess isn't alone; it's a cult favorite from The Silver Palate Cookbook, published in 1982. Considering I was born in 1982 I wasn't a a groupie then, and I'm guessing maybe you weren't either, which means that maybe you've never heard of it or tried it. (Or on the other hand maybe you eat this weekly and this is b-o-r-i-n-g, you tell me.) I first tasted Chicken Marbella in May 2008 when my friend Helen threw a dinner party to mark the end of our first year of architecture school. I think anything out of a home oven would have lifted my spirits after a year of Pad Thai and pizza, but the Chicken Marbella that night, served with orzo and salad, tasted especially otherwordly. It was a reminder that good food can instantly transport you to a mindset where you forget the to-do's and delight in the wonder of good friends and a cozy home. </div>
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I tend to think of Chicken Marbella as my back pocket magic trick: it's easy to pull together, it feeds a crowd, and it's incredibly flavorful and delicious. The moment I'm faced with feeding more than four people I go into a complete stupor about what to cook and how to coordinate the timing so everything is done at the same time. Complete. Stupor. Until I discovered this dish, which mostly comes together the night before when you dump the ingredients in a bowl and let them linger lovingly in the fridge overnight. An hour before you're ready to serve you put the chicken and it's accompaniments in a roasting pan, add some wine and brown sugar, and bake, and ta-da dinner is served.</div>
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The ingredients list might turn you off, especially if you don't consider yourself a prune person, which is probably a good chunk of the under eighty crowd, but I beg you to give them a chance. Alongside olives and capers, and roasted in a bath of oil and wine, the prunes stand alongside strawberry ice cream and dark chocolate in their deliciousness. They melt in your mouth and provide a subtle sweetness when eaten together with the chicken. I've seen my share of dinner guests start popping prunes long after they've finished their chicken. It's the pre-dessert course. </div>
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As with any dish it's not about a single ingredient, but about the ingredients together, and that's where this dish knocks it out of the park. Olives and chicken, yes! Prunes and white wine, yes! Capers, prunes, olive oil and chicken, yes! Oregano, garlic, and olives, yes! Honesty every bite is so satisfying, whether it's a slightly savory olive bit or a sweet prune bite, but you'll have to try it to understand. </div>
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<i>* please note that I scaled back the recipe when I took these pictures because it was just the three of us. (A food photo shoot simply isn't in the cards when I have people over for dinner, which is why it's taken me so long to share this recipe here.) The recipe below will serve 10-12. When I do scale it back I use the same amount of liquid ingredients (vinegar/oil/wine) to ensure that the chicken is partially submerged in the pan.</i><br />
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<i>* The recipe calls for chicken quarters, which is lovely, but I more often use chicken legs and thighs. </i><br />
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<i>* it makes for great leftovers so don't be shy about cooking the full amount and saving some for later</i><br />
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ingredients<br />
4 chickens, 2 1/2 lbs each, quartered<br />
1 head garlic, peeled and finely pureed (I use a garlic press)<br />
1/4 cup dry oregano<br />
coarse sea salt and black pepper<br />
1/2 cup red wine vinegar<br />
1/2 cup olive oil<br />
1 cup pitted prunes<br />
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives<br />
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice<br />
6 bay leaves<br />
1 cup brown sugar (I almost never use the full amount - I sprinkle a coating on each piece of chicken)<br />
1 cup white wine<br />
1/4 cup Italian parsley or fresh coriander, finely chopped<br />
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Place the chicken in a large bowl with the garlic, oregano, coarse salt and pepper to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Toss to combine and then cover and let it marinate, refrigerated, overnight.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on in a roasting pan and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Poor white wine around the chicken and then sprinkle a coating of brown sugar over the chicken pieces.<br />
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Bake for 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices (essential!). You can place the chicken, prunes, olives and cappers on a serving plate, or you can do what I do and serve from the pan, which will allow people to help themselves to more pan juices (delicious on polenta).<br />
<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-51737127539890763352014-05-26T21:08:00.000+02:002014-05-26T21:08:50.145+02:00on sunny days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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( Lake Zürich )</div>
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On our walk back from the park late Saturday afternoon Zach asked me what, if anything, I had underestimated about life in Switzerland before we moved here. There are so many things you think about and imagine before you move somewhere, and most of them don't have any concrete answers. It's easy to imagine the rhythms of life somewhere else, but it's impossible to actually <i>know</i> what your life will be like. I can easily imagine a life in Rome eating pizza and sketching at the Pantheon, but I can't conjure up the in between moments, the quiet moments, or even the social moments with friends (or will we even have friends).<br />
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Anyway, it was an interesting question, and there are surely a lot of answers, but the one thing that came to me first, as we walked home with the sun on our back, was the weather. I swear I've found paradise when the sun is out. The city opens up to you in so many ways when it's sunny and warm; there's the lake, the parks, the playgrounds, and walking trails in the nearby woods, and did I mention the lake? In the summer especially nice weather makes Zürich feel like a beach community. We live three blocks from the lake and a ten minute walk from the nearest lakeside swimming spot complete with a high dive and baby pool. From there, with my toes in the lake, it feels like I can reach out and touch the Alps. Days like that I dig in, and exist happily here in our home away from home. The sunny days lifestyle is so good that I can imagine myself here for a long time, long enough for Alice to grow up and consider Zürich her home. </div>
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( at the park near our apartment )</div>
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( Alice and Zach in Zug, Switzerland )</div>
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On not so sunny days you'll find me stirring and wondering how on earth we are going to get rid of the gigantic wardrobe in our bedroom - that we lovingly refer to as "the monster"- because we most certainly aren't bringing it back to the States. The thrifted midcentury furniture will come with us, because those are the items that will make anywhere we are feel like home. After I've revised my "take" and "leave" list I sit and think about how I call two places home and how it might be nice to call one place home and so I go online real estate hunting.<br />
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( Alice at the "Badi"- in the baby pool and on the beach )</div>
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In my mind I <i>know</i> I need to be present and content where I am, but the mind is a funny thing, always sending us into the future before we've spent long enough in the now. I think if it was sunny everyday I'd spend less time agonizing over our limbo-land status because I'd be too busy watching Alice in her pink polka dot bikini playing in the sand (that belly!!). </div>
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I'm curious, do you feel firmly rooted where you are? Can you imagine yourself living in your current spot forever, or are you constantly thinking of what is next? I guess I'm just interested to know if the "what is next" is only an expat-ism or if everyone feels it. I think the difference for us might be that we feel it most of the time; we will eventually move back to the States, this isn't a forever home. But maybe you feel the same way.</div>
Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-57111535525959203672014-05-23T16:03:00.002+02:002014-05-23T16:03:48.394+02:00amazing pizza at home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ecpQsYsMxo/U32nqQtza5I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/A7V5_LMKujY/s1600/pizza-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ecpQsYsMxo/U32nqQtza5I/AAAAAAAAA9Y/A7V5_LMKujY/s1600/pizza-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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I was about to email this pizza dough recipe to my friend Emily. She has access to a wood burning pizza oven. I figured that if I could make amazing pizza in my simple kitchen oven that she'd be able to make AH-mazing pizza in a legit pizza oven. I could almost see the bubbles and the slightly charred edges of the pizzas she and her husband would be able to make and eat. But here's the thing, Emily lives in New Haven, Connecticut, and has access to some of the best pizza in the United States. A good pizza dough might not be as vital to her as it is, to say, me, who lives in a pizza dead zone. As I was typing up the recipe and email I realized that there are most definitely other pizza dead zones - arguably anywhere outside of Naples, Rome, New York, and New Haven - and that you might live in one of them. If you do, then this pizza dough is for you. </div>
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This recipe is from the well known pizza spot in Brooklyn called Roberta's and was featured in the New York Times a couple months ago. Roberta's pizzas are made in a wood-fired oven, but they adapted the dough recipe so it would produce good results at home in a normal oven. We don't have a pizza stone or a peel (the sheet of wood that helps you transfer the pizza to the oven) and we still ended up with great pizza. The dough rises effortlessly to a soft a chewy state. If you shape an outer ring of crust that's slightly more doughy than the middle, you will be pleased by the puffy ring of deliciousness bordering the cheesy middle. Even though it's weighted down by sauce a an ample amount of cheese, the pizza is light. The crust is full of air bubbles, which separates this pizza from the dense store bought variety. </div>
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The dough is easy. You need only a few ingredients and you can kneed the dough by hand in a few minutes. (Following the initial kneading you need to let it rise for 3-4hrs.) The only slightly tricky part is that the ingredients need to be weighed. This success of this recipe is not left to the variety of ways you and I might measure a cup of flour, no, it's 153 grams of all purpose flour and 153 grams of type 00 flour. You will need a scale. It's a good investment these days as many recipes are being converted to weight measurements. And even if you only buy it so you can make this pizza it will be a good investment. </div>
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I think I forgot to mention that I <i>LOVE </i>pizza. It's my favorite food. Given a choice of a last meal, I'd pick pizza. I grew up on what most would consider good New York pizza, except it came out of Connecticut, out of a tiny pizza restaurant called The Pizza Post. It's tucked in a little shopping center, behind the gas station and next to a nail salon and an ice cream shop. That's my way of saying it's nothing fancy and it's a bit of a hidden gem. They make pizzas with bubbly crusts and thin chewy middles. It's pizza perfection. From The Pizza Post I went on to spend nine years eating pizza in New Haven. I was a student almost that whole time so I ate <i>a lot</i> of pizza. I don't know if it's widely known or not, but New Haven is home to some incredible pizza. There's Pepe's and Sally's in the Italian neighborhood Wooster Square and Modern Apizza on State Street. Most New Havenites have allegiances to one or the other. Zach and I are Pepe's people. The thin crust pizzas are served on large baking sheets, cut into rectangular pieces. The middle is light and floppy, but not at all soggy, while the outer crust is slightly crispy on the edges, but soft and doughy in the middle. It's worth the wait in the line that stretches around the block every evening. (We quickly learned that if you order a pizza to-go in person, it will be ready in fifteen minutes.)</div>
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Since I don't have permission from Roberta's or the NYTimes and because I'd rather not step on any toes I'm not going to write out the recipe here, but instead link to it and send you on your way. The video that accompanies the article and recipe is <i>incredibly</i> helpful in making and shaping the dough. I think you'll get more out of it and likely make a better pizza by following their example instead of mine.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1016230/robertas-pizza-dough.html">Roberta's Pizza Dough</a><br />
(If you live in Zürich, I found 00 flour at Jelmoli)<br />
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and once you've got the dough here are some pizzas to try....<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1016231/pizza-margherita.html">Pizza Margherita </a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1016232/cheeses-pie.html">Cheeses Pie</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1016233/the-green-and-white.html">The Green and White</a><br />
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Oh, and I'm also curious if any of you have the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Robertas-Cookbook-Carlo-Mirarchi-ebook/dp/B00CVS43JS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400852873&sr=8-1&keywords=roberta%27s+pizza">Roberta's cookbook</a> and what you think? It's sitting in my Amazon shopping cart and I'm wondering if it would be great to have around or just more cookbook clutter.<br />
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And please share your favorite pizza dough recipe, I'm always curious to try a new one.<br />
<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-27786414224160045972014-05-13T21:01:00.001+02:002014-05-13T21:01:29.638+02:00a family favorite <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Friends, you'll be glad to know that Alice is an enthusiastic eater. I'd venture to guess that sitting down at the table is one of her top five favorite things; along with using the printer as a drum set, opening and closing the dishwasher soap tray, shimmying and shaking to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y1h1NPkY90">So Glad I'm Here</a>, and thumbing through Pat the Bunny. So far she's liked everything we've given her. Okay, that's not quite true, she doesn't like plain yogurt, but I don't know many people who do, so we'll just sideline that one for now. She is not a dainty eater. She uses her fingers to rake food into her fist where it makes a quick trip to her already open mouth and, along with most of her hand, disappears. We gave up on the spoon a while ago. You would too if it became a constant tug of war. She prefers to feed herself, and although I spend way too much time cleaning the floor - anyone have a dog we can borrow at mealtime? - it suits us just fine. I could go on and on about feeding Alice, how I like that she chooses what she wants, that she paces herself, how it's good for her dexterity and hand eye coordination, that I love the face she makes when she tries something new, but let's leave that for another post and chat about spinach gnocchi instead. </div>
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These little green globes are our current favorite thing to eat. Zach even went so far to say that he likes gnocchi night better than homemade-tortilla taco night. I might be with him on that. And Alice is definitely on board; the little goober ate all eight of her gnocchi before I even had a chance to snap a few photos and serve myself. In trying to come up with words besides "awesome" to describe them, all I keep thinking is "gentle". And that they are, soft and delicate, with a melt in your mouth quality. We can thank the ricotta for that. Ricotta pillows laced with spinach and parmesan. If it's the ricotta that lends the airy texture then it's the parmesan that brings the depth and richness. The gnocchi are so flavorful that they could be eaten alone, but I toss them in a simple sage butter sauce, because I like the earthy flavor it brings. I think Alice would tell you she likes the earthiness too considering she ate a nice big handful of dirt yesterday.</div>
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<b>Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi</b> - Marcella Hazan<br />
note : I have made these gnocchi four times. This last time was the best, and funny enough I used frozen spinach. I tend to shy away from frozen ingredient substitutions as I prefer the fresh stuff, but frozen is what I had on hand and they turned out beautifully. I think it might be because you can get exact weights on the frozen, and with the fresh it's a bit of a guessing game - do you weigh pre or post stem? Know that they are good with fresh spinach, but me mindful of the amounts/ratio.<br />
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another note: The recipe calls for prosciutto, but I never have that on hand so I've skipped it all four times. Feel free to include it, I bet it's good.<br />
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450 g / 1 lb fresh spinach<br />
OR<br />
285 g / 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed<br />
salt<br />
25 g / 1 oz butter<br />
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion<br />
2 tablespoons chopped prosciutto<br />
150 g / 5.5 oz ricotta<br />
75 g / 2.5 oz flour<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
115 g / 4 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese<br />
<br />
If using fresh spinach, trim away all stems and clean it in a few changes of water. Put the barely damp spinach in a pan with 2 teaspoons of salt, cover the pan, and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain it and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop it coarsely and set aside.<br />
<br />
If using thawed frozen spinach, cook in a covered pan for 5 minutes. Drain it and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop it coarsely.<br />
<br />
Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the chopped prosciutto if using and stir to coat. Stir in the spinach with a bit of salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Turn the spinach-onion mixture out into a large bowl. Allow it to cool and in the meantime measure your other ingredients. Once it has cooled to room temperature stir in the egg yolks, followed by the ricotta, flour, and parmesan. Taste and correct for salt.<br />
<br />
Next, form small balls out of the mixture. It will be sticky, but you should still be able to roll it - stickily - in your hands, if not, add a touch more flour. Hazan recommends 1/2 inch across, but says you can stretch to 3/4 inch if that is easier, and I think our gnocchi were closer to 3/4 than 1/2. Do what works for you.<br />
<br />
Drop the gnocchi, about 10 at a time, into salted, boiling water. When the water returns to boil cook for 3-4 more minutes. With the first batch taste one after 3 minutes to know if they are done or of you should extend to 4 minutes. I found that 4 minutes was perfect with this last round. When the last batch of gnocchi goes in the pot, start your sauce.<br />
<br />
<b>Sage Butter Sauce</b><br />
75 g / 2.5 oz butter<br />
6-8 whole sage leaves<br />
parmesan cheese for sprinkling<br />
<br />
Melt the butter in s small skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, and the color of the butter becomes golden, but not brown, add the sage leaves. Cook for a few seconds, turning the leaves over once, and then pour over your pasta.<br />
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There should be an underwater tour of Venice. What is happening under there? I'm told that all those buildings, the entire city, is built on wooden piles. I need more time to process that. Maybe an entire lifetime to process it. (Structures was never my strong point in architecture school.)</div>
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We took every opportunity - save the ninety euro gondola ride - to see Venice from the water. There were vaporetto rides zig zagging across the Grand Canal and a couple water taxi rides to and from the airport as well as the walk along Giudecca with all of Venice in view. That's where I took the above photo; standing outside Andrea Palladio's Il Redentore looking back at Venice. I'd venture to say that it's a city to be looked at, not lived in, at least now in it's tourist trap state. </div>
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Alice in the sculpture garden at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. </div>
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It was Easter Sunday, hence the bow. Venice is not known for its green spaces so it was nice to have a moment where we could let Alice out of the carrier to explore on her own a bit. Shortly after I took this photo she tumbled and the happy calm was broken. It's part of why I like this photo though, the quiet before the tears. </div>
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Travel for us used to be so much about finding good authentic food. Now it's about finding a restaurant near the hotel that will do take out. Thankfully we found one and ordered the same pasta dish every night: fusilli with cream, peas and proscuitto. It was good, not great, but with a little babe sleeping in the luggage nook it was about what worked, and not about the hidden gem of a restaurant on our Venice to-see list. She's worth it.<br />
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I could have taken an entire roll of this corner of San Marco. The colors! The patterns! The detail!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gVfjTObTzcY/U1-J-kGlZHI/AAAAAAAAA5I/dQLCyLsLa0M/s1600/venicefilm-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gVfjTObTzcY/U1-J-kGlZHI/AAAAAAAAA5I/dQLCyLsLa0M/s1600/venicefilm-13.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gVfjTObTzcY/U1-J-kGlZHI/AAAAAAAAA5I/dQLCyLsLa0M/s1600/venicefilm-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">I now have a serious itch to keep traveling. I'd love to hear any and all recommendations you might have for travel in Europe. Have you been to Croatia, Greece, Sicily, Sardinia? Any spots you'd recommend. Any musts I need to put on my list? Thanks for sharing. </span></a></div>
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I'd also appreciate any tips you have for traveling with a baby/kids. What's the best type of vacation - resort, city, countryside? </div>
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Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-91237000219860784532014-04-26T16:41:00.000+02:002014-04-26T16:41:59.042+02:00venice preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Once you settle into a routine with a baby it’s tough to venture outside
of it. But then what? Then you’re stuck at home every weekend, doing the same
thing you do every other weekend. Which is fine, but we’ve found that we need
to get out in order to appreciate where we are. I’m sure you’ve felt the same
at some point. Venice might not have been our first choice (I’ve already been
there twice), but the wave of we-need-an-adventure came over us quickly and
with friends already headed that way we decided to head that way too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I have some tips for traveling with a baby, but most of all we've learned that you need to set appropriate expectations for how much you're going to see and do. There's no sense in having a pound-the-pavement attitude because you'll end up exhausted and on the other side of town with a cranky baby and no clear way to get back to your hotel. That happened to us on Saturday. We walked to the Jewish Ghetto by way of the Rialto Bridge and pretty much as soon as we arrived we each had our own mini breakdown - I was hot and hungry, Zach was getting sunburnt and Alice was tired of being in the carrier. Eager to just get somewhere and quick we jumped on a water taxi headed in the direction of our hotel, but of course it took the long way home, typical. Anyway, we made it back, and stayed in the hotel the rest of the afternoon and devised a new plan for the following days: we'd let Alice nap at the hotel and we'd take little excursions into the city between naps. It worked remarkably well. Accustomed to leaving the hotel and not coming back until bedtime I enjoyed having moments throughout the day to regroup and relax.<br />
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We enjoyed Venice, but I think our next trip will have to be somewhere a bit more kid friendly. It was difficult to put Alice down in Venice; there were no green spaces and the courtyards were all stone and quite dirty, not to mention filled with overly friendly pigeons. (Why oh why do people insist on feeding the pigeons in San Marco? It makes me want to gag just thinking about pigeons pecking there way up someones arm.) I think I'll look into some beachside spots, with Sicily high on the list. More Venice pictures to come in the following days. </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-84567133395419187702014-04-10T21:09:00.003+02:002014-04-10T21:09:58.966+02:00a few film shots of Alice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s1UJk-3V9yg/U0avK20VhvI/AAAAAAAAA34/OA6sIhBVjqc/s1600/aliceinfilm-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s1UJk-3V9yg/U0avK20VhvI/AAAAAAAAA34/OA6sIhBVjqc/s1600/aliceinfilm-14.jpg" /></a></div>
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I had forgotten how deeply film photos pull you in. Your eye surveys the scene and instantly you're transported, bathing in the rich colors and ethereal light. If my Boo is in the photo you can be sure I'm gonna take a nice long bath.<br />
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I picked up these photos from the shop yesterday and I can't stop looking at them. Mostly it's the light that I'm drawn too, it's light unlike anything in a digital photo, or at least anything I can capture in a digital photo. I put my film camera away shortly after Alice was born favoring the quick and easy iPhone and digital cameras over the slow and steady film. I think it's time for a switcheroo after seeing these photos. Yes, there are a lot of duds in the roll - blinks, grimaces, blur - but the ones that come out well are worth the twenty odd ones that come out badly.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Mymswihgl0/U0aqvg7IDWI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/979pYQcHCkI/s1600/aliceinfilm-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Mymswihgl0/U0aqvg7IDWI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/979pYQcHCkI/s1600/aliceinfilm-3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4eesV3CrlTY/U0arEBbuaFI/AAAAAAAAA3k/jHtcK0WBeoc/s1600/alice+insta_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4eesV3CrlTY/U0arEBbuaFI/AAAAAAAAA3k/jHtcK0WBeoc/s1600/alice+insta_2.jpg" height="431" width="540" /></a></div>
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I've also started taking a few on a Fuji instant camera. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjhNxYdmmCQ/U0aqv7604GI/AAAAAAAAA3E/uVz6w_uwRsc/s1600/aliceinfilm-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjhNxYdmmCQ/U0aqv7604GI/AAAAAAAAA3E/uVz6w_uwRsc/s1600/aliceinfilm-4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1d1X0H9zOc/U0aqv2YFuFI/AAAAAAAAA3I/QhkJjbQ0T1E/s1600/aliceinfilm-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1d1X0H9zOc/U0aqv2YFuFI/AAAAAAAAA3I/QhkJjbQ0T1E/s1600/aliceinfilm-5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cHZIxJ8YII/U0arBzWyLgI/AAAAAAAAA3c/IViOQFtY2vI/s1600/alice+insta_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cHZIxJ8YII/U0arBzWyLgI/AAAAAAAAA3c/IViOQFtY2vI/s1600/alice+insta_3.jpg" height="431" width="540" /></a></div>
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And here is one of my favorite photos of Alice, a film photo, taken when she was only two or three days old. I took the same photo on my digital camera and it's not as good, not as true to the moment somehow. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xgVuvYjqBs/U0aqtO7kPXI/AAAAAAAAA2s/5GbqmWWbrPQ/s1600/aliceinfilm-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xgVuvYjqBs/U0aqtO7kPXI/AAAAAAAAA2s/5GbqmWWbrPQ/s1600/aliceinfilm-15.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-44258045367014874482014-03-18T09:31:00.000+01:002014-03-18T09:31:45.886+01:00h-a-p-p-y<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7wM3eMCJoFY/Uya7tdpWU0I/AAAAAAAAA1c/0zcZ-9YzGAw/s1600/sea+salt+cookie-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7wM3eMCJoFY/Uya7tdpWU0I/AAAAAAAAA1c/0zcZ-9YzGAw/s1600/sea+salt+cookie-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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I wasn't planning on sharing this cookie with you. But then I tried it, as you can see above, and I couldn't not share it with you. It's <i>that </i>good - a cookie worthy of the comeback blog post. A cookie that made me sit down gather some photos and actually write something here. It feels good. I owe this cookie some love, so here goes. </div>
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It's a salted butter cookie and you should know that it has taunted me for almost three years. It's the recipe that I inadvertently flip to every single time I open Dorie Greenspan's <i>Around My French Table, </i>which is a lot considering that it's my go-to cookbook these days. I don't know why it took me so long to actually mix up the dough and stick it in the oven. It's light on ingredients, it's quick, it's pretty, and as it turns out it's delicious. Sweet and crunchy at first and then melt in your mouth tender - that's the butter - and then the hint of salt comes in and gathers all the flavors into perfect combination and you smile because your mouth and mind are h-a-p-p-y. It's all about the salt. Zach went on about how he doesn't like salt in his sweets and then he ate this cookie and now he's a convert. He might have even said that this cookie was the best damn cookie ever. <i>Ever</i>. </div>
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Take this cookie to a party, or have a party. You can bring out the slab and people can admire it's beauty and then break a piece off. And then you can all talk about what a lovely pair sugar and salt are. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GI61HbGWu0g/Uya7oF5k3DI/AAAAAAAAA00/YV97r8-115I/s1600/Alice-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GI61HbGWu0g/Uya7oF5k3DI/AAAAAAAAA00/YV97r8-115I/s1600/Alice-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iKdm1M5jhYE/Uya7oc5BZ8I/AAAAAAAAA08/yWlPnhrtEr4/s1600/Alice-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iKdm1M5jhYE/Uya7oc5BZ8I/AAAAAAAAA08/yWlPnhrtEr4/s1600/Alice-3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Speaking of lovely, let me update you a bit on Alice. She is seven and a half months and 99% pure joy. In the last few weeks her two bottom teeth have popped up (that accounts for the not so joyous 1%) and she is eager to test them out on anything she can get in her mouth. She delights in pulling toys and kitchen knick-naks out of bowls and waving them back and forth through the air to feel their weight before discarding them and digging in for another treasure. Crawling records are safe where they stand because this little lady is happy to just sit. She can shimmy and push her way backwards, but so far there's nothing in the way of forward motion, and that's okay with us because we know that soon enough she'll be on the move and we won't be able to slow her down. She likes books, but only so much and she can smack them and then chew them. Many of our computer files have been renamed and new ones opened because Alice goes <i>goo-goo-gaa-gaa</i> for the computer keyboard. I think she'd trade in her left foot for a computer keyboard. The same can be said for parchment paper - endlessly entertaining. It's the little things, a little person playing with little trinkets that makes my heart pitter patter away. </div>
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Salted Butter Break-Ups<br />
Dorie Greenspan, <i>Around My French Table</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>* </i>a note on the salt. Dorie calls for sel gris, a moist slightly gray sea salt with crystals that can be picked up individually, which I didn't have and couldn't find. She notes that you can substitute kosher salt or another coarse salt. I went with a fleur de sel - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Le-Saunier-De-Camargue-Canisters/dp/B0002FGY9O">Le Saunier de Carmargue</a>, which comes in a little circular container with a cork top. It too is rather moist with substantial size crystals.<br />
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* Dorie makes the dough in the food processor, but if you, like me, have a baby napping and don't want to use any loud kitchen appliances, then it's just as easy to make it by hand, like a tart/pie dough.<br />
<i><br /></i>1 3/4 cup flour<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
3/4 - 1 tsp sel gris or fleur de sel<br />
9 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 18 pieces<br />
3-5 Tbsp water<br />
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1 egg yolk, for the glaze<br />
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Put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter pieces, and using your fingers massage them into the dry ingredients to produce a coarse meal so that you have some flakes and no pieces larger than the size of a pea. Begin adding the water, just a tablespoon at a time, and mix with a fork. Only use as much water as you need to produce a dough that almost forms a ball (I only needed 3 tablespoons).<br />
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Scrape the dough on to a work surface, gather it into a mound and pat it down a bit to flatten it and then wrap it in plastic wrap and cool in the fridge for at least an hour.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Put the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it out so that it is about 1/4 inch thick. A rectangle is a nice look if you can do it, but any shape that fits on your baking sheet will work. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet.<br />
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Beat the egg yolk with a few drops of water. Brush the cookie with the egg glaze. Using the back of a fork decorate the cookie with a hatch pattern.<br />
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Bake for 30-40 minutes until it is golden - "It will be firm to the touch but have a little spring when pressed in the center -- the perfect break-up is crisp on the outside and still tender within." Allow the cookie to cool to room temperature.<br />
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Alice started solids about six weeks ago. I'd say that this point that she "dabbles" in eating. Somedays she's can't get the food in fast enough and other days, like today, she just waves the green beans in the air, as if feeling their weight in her hands and conducting an imaginary orchestra, before setting them down and banging her hands on the table and looking out the window.<br />
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I think I only have a few more weeks of eating cookies in her presence before she demands one herself. I should take advantage of that huh?<br />
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Considering it's been so long since I posted last I thought I'd do a little photo stream of recent photos. We spent a week in Chamonix at the beginning of the month so there are a few mountain and snow shots scattered through out. We're back in Zurich now and enjoying spring and the nearby parks.<br />
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-54021238254385203562013-11-26T20:20:00.000+01:002013-11-26T20:20:31.485+01:00these two...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What do you bring to the table? Me? I bring Teddie's Apple Cake and White Bean and Fennel Dip. And I'm not talking just about the Thanksgiving table, I'm talking about any table - the book club table, the play group table, the you-just-had-a-baby table, the Sunday football table, the Saturday apero table, and the let's-get-together-for-the-heck-of-it-table. I figured in the spirt of all the gathering that will happen this week that it was a good time to share my gather go-tos, the ones I'm constantly asked about and continually make and yet never seem to have time to write about. </div>
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These are both homey recipes in that they are made from a few simple ingredients and will make you feel all warm and cozy when you eat them. If you have a hand-knitted scarf at hand I suggest you wear it while eating the dip and for the cake I recommend fleece slippers. Neither of these recipes are fancy, but is anyone really looking for fancy when the sidle up to the spread of appetizers or slice into a piece of cake? I'm going to go with no. And if you're with me on that, I think you should keep reading. </div>
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Let's start with the cake. Teddie's Apple Cake has made the internet rounds. I think that's probably why I haven't written about it here - it's a been there done that cake. Unless of course you haven't been there or done that in which case, get on it! At the risk of being repetitive let's chat about the virtues of this cake. First, you need to know that it's rustic, crumbly at the edges with a soft center studded with large apple chunks, walnuts and raisins. It's not a dainty cake. Secondly, because it's made with vegetable oil and not butter it has an incredibly moist, yet sturdy crumb and can keep for days without drying out. I made one last Tuesday for play group and I finished the last piece on Sunday for breakfast. That's six days of cake. Thirdly, the top crust, it's all about the top crust. I've been known to eat just the top off the cake after the guests have left. It's not in the original recipe but you've gotta sprinkle the top with cinnamon-sugar. It is <i>so </i>good. The cinnamon and sugar crystallize on the surface making for a sweet and crunchy bite, a perfect partner to the melt-in-your-mouth apples.<br />
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<b>Teddie's Apple Cake</b> : 1973 NYTimes, unearthed by Amanda Hesser 2007</div>
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butter for greasing the pan</div>
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1 1/2 cups vegetable oil</div>
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2 cups sugar</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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3 cups flour</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp baking soda</div>
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1 tsp cinnamon</div>
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3 cups apples (about 3 apples), cubed</div>
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1 cup chopped walnuts</div>
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1 cup raisins</div>
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cinnamon-sugar for sprinkling </div>
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Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan</div>
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Beat the oil and sugar together in a mixer. After five minutes add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated and the batter is creamy. </div>
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Sift together the flour, salt and cinnamon and add to the batter. Add the vanilla followed by the apples, walnuts and raisins. </div>
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Pour into the buttered and floured pan. Sprinkle the batter with a healthy dose of cinnamon-sugar. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted. Let the cake cool before turning it out onto a wire wrack.</div>
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As I write about gatherings, I should note that they have become a key piece to my sanity the past few months. It is vital that we get out of the house everyday and see people, preferably friends. If we don't I get a little stir crazy and Alice risks turning into a pumpkin, one with a sly grin and threatening eyes. Yesterday was a good reminder of that. I had set aside the day to cook because I wanted to share these recipes with you and so our only outing was a super speedy trip to the store and back. All was going splendidly until it came time to put Alice down for her second nap, which was to be my cooking time, and she decided that she didn't want to take a nap. There was a lot of yelling and most of it was timed perfectly with the buzzer on the oven, pulling me in two directions. Alice was relegated to her swing to cool off while I haphazardly hustled around the kitchen. Have you ever tried to do anything while a baby is crying? How about while your baby is crying? Gah! I challenge you. It's impossible to think let alone measure ingredients. </div>
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Anywho, at some point after lifting her in and out of her crib, the swing, and the bouncy seat she finally fell asleep on the couch and I ventured back to the kitchen to finish up this dip. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yD4lZhk8xEs/UpTHXYJyMGI/AAAAAAAAAy8/z3m0txQ2flk/s1600/gather-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yD4lZhk8xEs/UpTHXYJyMGI/AAAAAAAAAy8/z3m0txQ2flk/s1600/gather-4.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDg_UoAaqEY/UpTHUQp1a_I/AAAAAAAAAyE/YPET2QCw0vo/s1600/gather-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDg_UoAaqEY/UpTHUQp1a_I/AAAAAAAAAyE/YPET2QCw0vo/s1600/gather-11.jpg" /></a>This is the best dip on the planet. It's warm, it's flavorful, it's reasonably healthy and it makes people smile. The cannellini beans provide for a smooth foundation on which the hearty flavors of roasted fennel, garlic and rosemary can really shine. I like to eat it with bread, but it takes just as well to carrots or tortilla chips. It's versatile. Eat it with veggies and bread and serve it at an apero, or pair it with tortilla chips and serve it at a football party.<br />
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<b>White Bean and Fennel Dip : </b>adapted from<b> </b><a href="http://food52.com/recipes/8908-roasted-fennel-white-bean-dip">Food52</a><br />
Over the years - wow it really has been years - I've cut back on the amount of olive oil. The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup of olive oil, but I've found that too be a bit too much. The beans themselves are so smooth and pillowy once pureed that you really only need a small amount of oil to achieve the desired consistency and flavor.<br />
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<i>for the roasted Fennel</i><br />
2 medium sized fennel bulbs, cut in chunks<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
3 garlic cloves still in papery shell<br />
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<i>for the cannellini bean puree</i><br />
1/4 cup of olive oil plus 2 Tbsp<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
2 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (from 2 cans)<br />
1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped<br />
1 Tbsp lemon juice<br />
1/2 cup parmesan cheese<br />
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the chopped fennel and garlic on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast until the fennel is brown at the edges and soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool on the roasting pan. Once cool remove the garlic from their skins.<br />
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Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the minced garlic and cook until lightly golden. Add in the cannellini beans and rosemary. Stir for two minutes and then take off the heat. Add in the roasted fennel, garlic and lemon juice. Puree in a food processor or with an emersion blender until smooth. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and half of the parmesan cheese. (you can add more oil if you want, I sometimes do if it seems a bit too thick). Smooth out in a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.<br />
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Raise the oven temperature to 450º and bake until golden and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.<br />
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Here's Alice, all nice and happy after her nap on the couch. It didn't last long. For some reason last night at bedtime she went completely bonkers. Up until the last two nights she's been easy to put down at night. I have no idea what happened. She eventually went down after an hour of red faced crying and I went into the kitchen and ate a big slice of cake while wearing my slippers <i>and </i>a knitted scarf. </div>
<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-65524379776850749952013-11-21T14:06:00.001+01:002013-11-21T14:06:56.839+01:00I never would have guessed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I never would have guessed... that I'd find myself sining the Wheels on the Bus while cutting out the backbone from a chicken. Yet there I was last Sunday night doing exactly that...with a little add lib here and there..."the kiddies on the bus say "we want chicken! we want chicken! we want chicken!" ... all through the town." My hands were gross and the little lady was fussy so I sang and sang and sliced and sliced until the backbone was clean and Alice calm. </div>
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I never would have guessed... it would go by <i>this quickly. </i>I know, yadda yadda, so cliche, but it <i>is</i> going by so fast. Alice is almost 4 months. Gasp! I got her to giggle for the first time yesterday. We were dancing in front of the mirror, and there it was, a little chuckle. I nearly died. My heart exploded. (My heart seems to have a fast recovery time considering how many times it's exploded in the last 4 months.) <div>
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I never would have guessed... I'd spend so much time thinking about Alice's sleep. On any given day I have no idea when she'll sleep or for how long. I can tell you that she'll likely take four naps, but when they occur and how long they last is only known by some little sleep center in Alice's brain. Right now she is taking a long nap, almost an hour and a half, which is lovely and amazing, for me and her. You see, Alice's sleep and the blog are deeply connected, because when she naps I can blog. So along with sleep I'd say I never would have guessed it would be this hard to blog. I miss it. I crave it. And yet, it's still hard to get to.<br />
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I never would have guessed...that homemade challah would be this good. Ever since <a href="http://www.darcyeden.com/posts/2013/10/23/homemade-challah.html">Darcy posted the recipe</a> I have been dying to make it. There's something about making your own bread that is incredibly satisfying. It's easy, yet it feels like such a worthwhile accomplishment. I've been delighting in buttered toast and avocado sandwiches and dreaming of French toast and bread pudding.<br />
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.... and here are a few favorites from my iphone.....<br />
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1) Alice all bundled for an excursion outside<br />
2) yes, my baby has a bald spot - will it ever grow back?<br />
3) my little Who from Whoville - reading Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who<br />
4) a nice evening stroll<br />
5) Alice and I rode the Chocolate Tram around town. She was eyeing all the treats.<br />
6) cozy in her sleep sack<br />
7 ) Fall! I love Fall!<br />
8) Alice busy playing with her toy gym.<br />
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...and the little lady is still sleeping - from start to finish in one nap time - it's a blogging miracle :)<br />
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Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-87313395993390430542013-10-31T17:08:00.000+01:002013-10-31T17:08:47.587+01:00I hold you in my heart<br />
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I <a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/on-national-pregnancy-and-infant-loss-remembrance-day-a-mother-with-a-candle-to-light/?_r=0">recently learned</a> that October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Not long after I learned this I was cleaning out my pictures - my hard drive is at risk of overflowing with pictures of Alice - and found myself caught up in pictures I took last October, like the one above and the one below. I went for long meandering walks last year, walks that led me all over the city. I thought about a lot on those walks, but mostly I thought about babies - the one we had lost and the one we were hoping to have. I had had a miscarriage at 10 weeks the February before, which was gut wrenching and awful, and by October I was lost somewhere in the Trying-to-Get-Pregnant Ocean. (If you're not familiar with that particular ocean, it is a vast and dark ocean, a grizzly expanse of insurmountable waves and unreachable horizons.)<br />
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It was a difficult year. In the midst of it I gained strength from the fact that I was struggling, because <i>this - </i>this crappy thing that had happened to me, to us, and the journey to get pregnant again - will be one of the harder things I will have to endure. Somehow owning the struggle made it easier to keep on trudging knee deep through ovulation sticks.<br />
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The year was tough, but last October was really tough. I had gone to my doctor at the beginning of the month to check my ovaries and the size of the eggs within. She was optimistic. There was one egg that was larger than the rest. It looked good. I went back a week later. The eggs were all the same size, there was no dominant egg. She didn't think I would ovulate. I shrank into the exam table. We talked about the next steps and she set up an appointment with a fertility specialist for the end of November.<br />
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Amidst the tears I came upon this soaring sculpture, her arms outstretched in hopeful surrender. I never went to the fertility specialist. I didn't need to. This is one of those better late than never stories; one of those eggs, perhaps it was the early leader or maybe a late follower, got it's act together and made it's way out of my ovary almost two weeks after that last appointment and I got pregnant. The cycle in which I conceived Alice was not a textbook 28 day cycle, far from it, but it was a cycle nonetheless. For my type-A personality it was a good lesson - things don't always have to go as planned to turn out perfectly.<br />
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Now that Alice is here it is easier for me to reflect on the last two years. I'm not a religious person, but I firmly believe that this is the way it was meant to be. Our other baby was just setting the stage for Alice, that s/he was never meant to be here on the outside with us, and those months of trying were just Alice's little egg getting ready to shine on through. Now, looking back, I am grateful for those months, because without them this little girl, who squints her eyes and pulls her hands up to her mouth when she's happy, wouldn't be here.<br />
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I have thought about this post a lot over the last two years and hemmed and hawed about whether or not to say anything here. I mulled it over a lot the past few days after learning that October is pregnancy loss awareness month and here's what I decided: not enough people talk about pregnancy loss, and I found that talking to friends who had also had miscarriages to be one of most helpful and hopeful things during my moments of sadness; their stories quieted the "I'll never have a healthy baby" voice that sat like a dark cloud over all my other thoughts. If I can quiet that voice for someone else, just one person, then talking about my miscarriage here on the blog is worth the risk of putting something more private out there in the internet.<br />
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But as I write about this here I am all too aware of the women who have struggled longer and harder than I have. My heart leaps out of my chest for them. Maybe you are one of those women and in that case I hold you in my heart, and as the Quakers say, in the light.<br />
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Since I'm posting this on Halloween, I couldn't help but share a photo of our little Swiss Miss in the Swiss Alps dressed as an alpine flower. It's amazing how much can change in a year, truly amazing, I am beyond grateful.<br />
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-39291341134731752012013-10-27T21:16:00.000+01:002013-10-27T21:16:07.640+01:00quick and easy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Fast<i> </i>food has become a necessity around here. It probably seems obvious considering babies don't really give off a <a href="http://housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/04/homemade-orechiette-and-bolognese-sauce.html">homemade orecchiette</a> vibe (dumplings - yes!), but that doesn't mean I don't want to eat hand crimped pasta with chunky bolognese sauce, because I do. And after three months of omelet eating I can tell you that omelets do not make a good stand in for homemade pasta goodness, not even when they are stuffed with parmesan cheese. I should have spent the months leading up to Alice's arrival expanding my fast food repertoire instead of making pound cake.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8jz1DDAPh2U/Um0mYy05pRI/AAAAAAAAAtg/CLswsU6xgPU/s1600/fallcurry-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8jz1DDAPh2U/Um0mYy05pRI/AAAAAAAAAtg/CLswsU6xgPU/s1600/fallcurry-10.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8jz1DDAPh2U/Um0mYy05pRI/AAAAAAAAAtg/CLswsU6xgPU/s1600/fallcurry-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">Anyway, Alice is here and we are decidedly sick of omelets so I went hunting for a recipe that looked fast and tasty. I found this recipe for chicken curry en papillote in Dorie Greenspan's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><u>Around My French Table</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">. I've only ever made fish en papillote, but it makes perfect sense that the steam filled paper packages would also work for chicken. In this recipe the steam cooks the chicken, softens the vegetables and infuses the curry flavor throughout, and all in only 27 minutes, 10 to prep and 17 to cook. There's barely enough time to cook the rice. (After </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i>many </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">failed attempts at cooking rice I now resort to the Uncle Ben's pouches that you simply drop in boiling water for 10minutes. It couldn't be easier and there's no risk of mushy rice. Mushy rice is the worst.) </span></a></div>
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Squint and you might think the curry is fall foliage. No, but really, it's perfect for this fall weather, bright, but also hearty and flavorful. It's so well suited to the season that Zach and I are going to have it again tonight. That makes it three times in one week. You'd think that on a Sunday we would have found a little bit more time to meal plan, but we didn't and although we debated carbonara, another easy meal, this curry is easier because there's less active hands on time. You just wrap it up, stick it in the oven and come back in 17-20minutes...<br />
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....just finished said curry and it was delish. I'm glad I got my butt in gear to post this recipe because I think everyone needs it on their fast-food recipe list.<br />
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Speaking of fast, I eat so fast these days. Argh. I just never know if Alice is going to whimper and cry so I tend to hoover while I have a chance. It's not a good habit and I desperately need to break it and sloooow the heck down. <br />
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<b>curried chicken, peppers and peas en papillote</b><br />
Dorie Greenspan <u>Around My French Table</u><br />
* the recipe in it's original form with my adjustments in parenthesis<br />
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2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts<br />
12 thin slices red onion halved (I used 1 large shallot)<br />
1/2 red pepper cored seeded and diced (I used an entire red pepper)<br />
1 cup peas, frozen or fresh<br />
(I added 1/2 a diced zucchini)<br />
4 teaspoons olive oil<br />
1 teaspoon curry powder (I used 1 tablespoon, probably depends on your curry powder)<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC<br />
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Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper each about 15 inches long.<br />
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Slice the chicken into stripes lengthwise and then crosswise in half. Put the chicken in a bowl along with the vegetables, curry powder, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir to coat.<br />
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Spoon equal amounts of the chicken-veggie mixture on to each piece of parchment paper and fold over and crimp the edges so that no steam can escape. (if you are unfamiliar with the technique you can follow the <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/inside-our-kitchen/article/how-to-fold-parchment-paper-to-cook-en-papillote">instructions on Bon Appetit</a>.)<br />
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Put the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 17-20minutes.<br />
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Zurich is putting on an amazing fall this year. Last year, not so much, but this year has been beautiful and warm and all around lovely. Alice hasn't been taking great naps in her crib so I've taken to wrapping her up in the Moby, where she sleeps soundly, and heading out on long walks.<br />
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Also since I'm in a Dorie place of mind I wanted to tell you about an absolutely out of this world cake. It might be my favorite cake. It's a <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/mocha-walnut-marbled-bundt-cake-dorie-greenspan-443748">mocha-vanilla-walnut marble cake</a> and it will blow your socks off with it's moist deliciousness. Eat it for breakfast. Eat it for a snack. Eat it for dessert. It doesn't matter when you eat it as long as you eat it. </div>
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And here's a photo of Alice from this afternoon, our little tumblebug, about to show of her newest skill - the roll. Love her so much I could eat her. Nom nom nommmmm. </div>
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-39819778481345823692013-09-20T16:56:00.000+02:002013-09-20T16:56:04.489+02:00Swiss Miss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alice is our little Swiss Miss. Of course she was always going to be our little Swiss Miss, but she really cemented her fate when she decided to grace us with her presence on August 1st, the Swiss equivalent of July 4th. The midwives at the hospital drew a little Swiss flag on her name card called her schätzli (little treasure). They also couldn't help but reference Alice in Wonderland. It seems that here in Switzerland the association between Alice and the rabbit hole remains strong and that's okay because our little Alice is full of wonder and is all sorts of wonderful. </div>
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We didn't wait long before whisking our little bundle of wonder to the Alps. Zach booked our trip to Zermatt, earlier this summer, long before I knew if I'd be up and willing to pack and five week old and all her goodies into a car and drive away from the comforts of home. I'm glad I was too preoccupied with nesting at that point to really consider what he was asking me to do. Don't get me wrong, when the time came to leave I had serious doubts - what about the car (!) and altitude (!) feeding while hiking (!) feeding without my giant breastfeeding pillow (!) and sleeping away from home (!). Thankfully it turns out Alice is a super duper traveler, but a small note-to-self - vacations with a newborn are not all that relaxing and you will end up more exhausted than when you left. Oh well, after a summer away from the mountains it was invigorating to be surrounded by peaks and fresh air and the exhaustion was worth it. </div>
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Our favorite restaurant in Zermatt is Chez Vrony. We go <i>every </i>time we are there, its non-negotiable, even when getting there involves a train ride up the mountain, a rocky walk down to the restaurant, and a subsequent steeply switchbacked walk down to town after lunch. It's our happy place. I think it might always be our happy place. I told Zach that if we were ever to renew our vows we'd have to do it at Chez Vrony. This picture doesn't really do it justice, so take a look at<a href="http://housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/07/apricot-tart-with-rye-crust-and-zermatt.html"> this one</a>, from when we were there last summer with our friends Perrin and Bobby.<br />
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The food at Chez Vrony is always good, but there tends to be a least one takeaway meal, something that I'm eager to make at home. The first time we went I was intent on making gnocchi like the ones that accompanied the lamb knuckle that I ordered. Then there was the hamburger with coleslaw and russian dressing, which resulted in many a burger with the aforementioned conditments. This time it was the plum tart. The tart was beautiful with rings of prune plums circling towards the center. The crust was thick and shortbread like with the edge pieces being especially tasty, crispy with caramelized plums and sugar. We shared one piece, and then ordered a second.<br />
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I came home and immediately googled plum tart and plum crostata, but didn't land on anything that fit the mold of the Chez Vrony tart so I stopped looking. I picked up my search again after going on a plum shopping spree at the farmers market. Once again I didn't find a tart like the one I was looking for, but what I did find was Luisa's take on Marian Burros plum crumble. I am a huge fan of the plum cake that Marian Burros published in the NYTimes and which I have made numerous times, but I'd never made her plum crumble so I figured now was a good a time as any.<br />
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The key to this crumble is the candied ginger, and well of course, the plums, but the ginger makes the plums sing. Truth is that I almost left the ginger out. I'm not a fan of ginger in general and I just wasn't sure how'd I'd feel about it messing with the sweet plums and the crispy crust. In general my mantra is to follow a recipe the first time before tweaking it so against my better judgement I grabbed a bag of candied ginger before checking out. I liked the ginger so much in the crumble that now I'm even eating plain.<br />
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So I know I said I follow recipes the first time around, I lied; I <i>mostly</i> follow recipes the first time around. It's just that Luisa posted on the crumble that she made, which she had tweaked by adding extra fruit, and who doesn't want extra fruit? She suggested that with the extra fruit it could double as a breakfast treat alongside yogurt, or perhaps a mid afternoon snack. Plum crumble for breakfast sounded too good to pass up, so I added extra fruit too. Luisa says to use 34 prune plums (the original calls for 12), but I just winged it and cut up all the plums that I bought from the market (all the ones pictured) and piled them in the bottom of a pie dish. It seemed like the right amount and it worked out well, so all I can say for fruit is to use as many as fill a pie dish.<br />
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Plum Crumble<br />
from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/21/dining/213frex.html?_r=0">Marian Burros</a> and Luisa <a href="http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2013/09/a-glut-of-plums.html">The Wednesday Chef</a><br />
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2 Tbsp brown sugar<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp plus 1 cup flour<br />
1/4 plus 1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp ground ginger<br />
2 heaping Tbsp finely chopped candied ginger<br />
34 prune plums cut in half and pitted (or however many plums fit in your dish. I also used a variety of different plums, which worked out just fine)<br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 well beaten egg<br />
1/2 cup unsalted buter, melted<br />
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Heat the oven to 375ºF<br />
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Mix the brown sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground ginger and candied ginger. Toss with the plums and mix well. Arrange the plums skin side up in a deep pie plate.<br />
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Combine remaining sugar, baking powder, flour, cinnamon and salt. Stir in egg. Then using your hands mix to produce little particles. Sprinkle the mixture over the plums<br />
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Drizzle the butter evenly over the crumb mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crumble is browned and plums are bubbling.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S0X8q9oe9_Q/Ujrbrvo7DgI/AAAAAAAAAro/WEFAQxv4dTU/s1600/alice-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S0X8q9oe9_Q/Ujrbrvo7DgI/AAAAAAAAAro/WEFAQxv4dTU/s1600/alice-1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cX-RdLz7Frk/UjrbrjY5eLI/AAAAAAAAArc/kPxZNmypMNM/s1600/alice-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cX-RdLz7Frk/UjrbrjY5eLI/AAAAAAAAArc/kPxZNmypMNM/s1600/alice-2.jpg" /></a></div>
Here are some pictures of Alice and me just hanging out in the hotel room. It turns out she likes crisp clean sheets and big plush pillows just as much as I do.<br />
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love her!Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-40024876377785165372013-09-13T20:07:00.000+02:002013-09-13T20:07:08.029+02:00August 1, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BQ-6zVElPTQ/UijGL66O-GI/AAAAAAAAAqw/DSkXA6aS4ro/s1600/alice-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BQ-6zVElPTQ/UijGL66O-GI/AAAAAAAAAqw/DSkXA6aS4ro/s1600/alice-5.jpg" /></a></div>
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Alice MacKay Mayer</div>
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August 1, 2013</div>
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Zürich, Switzerland</div>
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10:32 am </div>
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3395g (7lbs 8oz) </div>
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52cm (20.5inches)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZoTWGGOWFE/UijGKbNsoZI/AAAAAAAAAqk/Z_DaPOLoXjc/s1600/alice-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZoTWGGOWFE/UijGKbNsoZI/AAAAAAAAAqk/Z_DaPOLoXjc/s1600/alice-4.jpg" /></a></div>
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I started this post last week when Alice was 5 weeks, now all the sudden she is 6 weeks. There's no doubt that life has picked up speed and is flying by, just as everyone told me it would. She is a big black hole of love and cuteness; I can get lost in Alice for hours, days, weeks it turns out. </div>
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I've started this sentence and subsequently deleted it upwards of fifteen times. I'm just not sure how to tell you about our little lady love. Let's start with the basics. Her name is Alice, a name that Zach and I both loved from the beginning, but we more often call her Müsli - Swiss German for little mouse. We like to say that there is a mouse in the house when she coos and grunts and gurgles. She's quite an expressive little girl in all the best ways. It's funny, Alice has got to be one of the loudest eaters, grunting with each swallow as if she's trying out to be a professional women's tennis player When she sleeps her hands automatically pop up near her ears like she's calling a field goal. She likes Neko Case and Chopin and dancing in the living room. But best of all she's started to smile. Who knew a smile could be so amazing? I love this little girl. </div>
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Before another whimper interrupts my attempts to post this I'm just going to go ahead and post it, but know that there is so much more to say and share.Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-81397214515441882292013-07-22T21:31:00.001+02:002013-07-22T21:31:13.694+02:00pound cake anyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HQKWOnQSCjA/Ueu4J1YtIyI/AAAAAAAAApA/d0wvIzQ3NCE/s1600/pound+cake-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HQKWOnQSCjA/Ueu4J1YtIyI/AAAAAAAAApA/d0wvIzQ3NCE/s1600/pound+cake-4.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'm not sure you can ever <i>really </i>be ready for a baby, so with that in mind I've made sure that there's one thing I am ready for - a pound cake craving. I keep intending to stock the freezer with meatballs and casseroles, but in the moment those just don't sound that fun to make, so I make pound cakes instead. Generally each recipe makes two loaves (or I double it so that it does), and I leave one on the counter for daily snacking and slivers and I wrap the other up and stick it in the freezer. Our freezer currently contains two massive bags of frozen peas, a bag of frozen cookie dough, a pint of espresso ice cream and four pound cakes. </div>
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Yes, four pound cakes. There is the <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.ch/2013/05/im-feeling-daring.html">cream cheese pound cake</a> that I spotted on Orangette that sounded simple and lovely and like it would be a wonderful accompaniment to all the summer fruit I've been lugging home from the farmers market. It was just as heavenly as I expected. Dense but somehow delicate, perfect for breakfast, but also for dessert. And like any good pound cake, you can cut the thinest of slivers off the end with barely a crumb out of place. Slivers make for good snacks, slivers and apricots, slivers and cherries, slivers and peaches. You can see where I'm going with this...</div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izfSkPJOQfg/Ueu4Kr_1HXI/AAAAAAAAApY/POfMvo6zczI/s1600/pound+cake-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izfSkPJOQfg/Ueu4Kr_1HXI/AAAAAAAAApY/POfMvo6zczI/s1600/pound+cake-7.jpg" /></a><br />
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After the cream cheese pound cake came an espresso pound cake. Espresso powder stirred in boiling water and joined by more eggs than I can remember using in a cake, half and half, flour, butter, and a lot of sugar. It's Zach's grandmother's recipe. I'm still working out a couple kinks, mostly the baking time. You start with a cold oven, only turning it on when the cake is inside. Have you heard of that before? Perhaps you have some tips. I cooked mine slightly too long. It was good, and don't get me wrong, there is one wrapped in the freezer for later, but it was missing just a little bit of the seemingly magical moistness that defines Boggi's version. I'm going to keep baking and keep tweaking and hopefully there will be a recipe for you soon.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzHF7AU-ytk/Ueu4IcbYtuI/AAAAAAAAAos/66Shy9zPvhY/s1600/pound+cake-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzHF7AU-ytk/Ueu4IcbYtuI/AAAAAAAAAos/66Shy9zPvhY/s1600/pound+cake-3.jpg" /></a></div>
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The third contestant in the pound cake bake off isn't actually called a pound cake, but rather a snacking cake, a <a href="http://www.sweetamandine.com/2011/07/my-middle-name.html">Whole Wheat Cinnamon Snacking Cake</a> to be exact. When I saw it on Jess's blog and realized it was officially a snacking cake, as opposed to a breakfast cake or a dessert cake or a birthday cake, I knew I had to try it. As it turns out Jess was also nearing the end of her pregnancy when she made it, making me think that maybe there's something about snacking and cakes and pregnancy that align to create the perfect cake. And this <i>is</i> the perfect cake. It's subtle, which I like, but also sturdy enough to be a wonderful base for peanut butter or jelly or both, or honey, or hunks of fresh fruit. The whole wheat provides a nutty flavor while the cinnamon manages to sneak in to your senses as you're about to swallow. It's a friendly cake, friendly because it doesn't limit itself to certain times of day or certain meals, it's an eat-me-whenever-you-feel-like-it cake, and right now, that's my kind of cake. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p2DG3BWfCaM/Ueu4JDwb65I/AAAAAAAAAo4/JxUzYj7iXvw/s1600/pound+cake-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p2DG3BWfCaM/Ueu4JDwb65I/AAAAAAAAAo4/JxUzYj7iXvw/s1600/pound+cake-2.jpg" /></a></div>
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And last up there is the banana bread I made to keep our stomachs happy as we sat through a nine hour infant CPR and first aid course. I've made <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1106359405"></span>this <span id="goog_1106359406"></span></a>banana bread a lot. You could say it's my go-to. But this time, I went back to the original recipe. After a healthy amount of tweaking it seemed necessary to reign it in a bit and revisit the original, and I'm glad I did. The original calls for shredded coconut, which I had initially left out thinking if I was going to use chocolate - and I <i>always</i> use chocolate in banana bread - that it would be too much to also use coconut. Turns out I was wrong. The coconut is not overpowering and lightens the texture a bit. Even with the chocolate <i>and</i> the coconut, this is still very much a banana bread. </div>
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Banana Bread</div>
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Mark Bittman - How to Cook Everything</div>
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makes 1 loaf</div>
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8 Tbsp/1 stick butter, softened </div>
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1 1/2 cups all purpose flour</div>
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1/2 cup whole wheat flour</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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3/4 cup sugar</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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3 very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork until smooth</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/2 cup shredded coconut</div>
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1 - 1 1/2 bars dark chocolate, chopped. </div>
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Heat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with butter. </div>
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Mix together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs and bananas. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients, just enough to combine. Gently stir in the coconut and chocolate. </div>
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Pour the batter in the loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, until nicely browned. This bread is meant to be moist, so while a toothpick should come out fairly clean do not expect it to be perfectly dry, especially with all the chocolate in there. An overcooked banana bread is a sad thing, so try your best to guesstimate when it's done. Let it cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. </div>
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And when you've finished the banana bread make these two cakes.....</div>
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<a href="http://orangette.blogspot.ch/2013/05/im-feeling-daring.html">Cream Cheese Pound Cake</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sweetamandine.com/2011/07/my-middle-name.html">Whole Wheat Cinnamon Snacking Cake</a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQZvi_sN9ak/Ueu4KBti5uI/AAAAAAAAApE/KeDcp0rW2oE/s1600/pound+cake-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQZvi_sN9ak/Ueu4KBti5uI/AAAAAAAAApE/KeDcp0rW2oE/s1600/pound+cake-5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_25-JLAma0c/Ueu5Ri-NaXI/AAAAAAAAApo/AO_rybwlvfQ/s1600/bump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_25-JLAma0c/Ueu5Ri-NaXI/AAAAAAAAApo/AO_rybwlvfQ/s1600/bump.jpg" /></a></div>
And because I'm sure you are curious, here is my pound cake belly....I mean my baby belly. 37 weeks in the water and 36 weeks with the polka dot bag. I'm now 38 weeks, quickly making my way to 39! wow. I don't feel like the baby is going to make an early arrival, but then again, what do I know?<br />
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Since the freezer is already stocked with cake I want to spend the next two weeks squeezing some savory meals in there. Do you have any recommendations? I'm struggling to think of things and I'd love to hear any ideas that you might have.<br />
<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-37820398356004252892013-04-22T18:49:00.002+02:002013-04-22T18:49:39.385+02:00film <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Even though the oven remained off and the kitchen empty my camera was full, full with the same roll of film for almost four months. I just recently got the roll developed and wanted to share the photos with you. They span from December through early March. Winter here was bleak. There were months without sun. In retrospect it's probably better I don't have many photos from the depths of the darkness. </div>
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London:: </div>
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The earliest photos on the roll are from a quick, random, weekend trip that Zach and I took to London in early December. It was before the morning sickness struck and let me tell you, I was <i>all</i> about the duck confit sandwich that we got while wandering through Borough Market. </div>
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Zach couldn't resist and also sampled the corned beef.<br />
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Santa Cristina Val Gardena::<br />
For Christmas we slipped away to the Dolomites in Northern Italy with some friends. Zach skied while I drank hot chocolate and sat in the sun.<br />
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Zürich::</div>
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Since I couldn't ski this year we spent more weekends than we otherwise would have here in Zürich. We read <i>The New Yorker</i> at home and went out for latte macchiatos. I also started up a little needlepoint project. If by some miracle I finish it I think it will make a cute pillow or little bench for our little bébé. </div>
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-91614321944586224952013-04-15T11:08:00.001+02:002013-04-15T11:08:55.179+02:00crumb coffee cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my opinion there is a giant misunderstanding about pregnancy cravings. I went into <a href="http://housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2013/04/hello-again.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">pregnancy</span></a> with the assumption that I should stack jars of pickles next to my prenatal vitamins and cartons of ice cream next to the frozen spinach. As it turns out I didn't want pickles, ice cream, or spinach, and prenatal vitamins made me gag. So, yes, I'm going to go ahead and say, that for me, it was much more about things I didn't want to eat than the things I did, especially during the first few months. </div>
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If it was a color of the rainbow I didn't want to eat it. If it was once alive - four legs, two legs, fins - I didn't want to eat it. If it grew in the ground or up in a tree I didn't want to eat it, unless of course you count the tomatoes that went into the thin layer of sauce between the doughy crust and gooey cheese of my twice weekly pizza. Basically if it wasn't white or a cracker I didn't want to eat it. </div>
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My diet was bleak and bland. I hate to admit that. I was a healthy eater before so I figured I'd be a healthy eater during. Silly me. I ate what I could, when I could. For the first three months or so I subsisted on toast, oatmeal, cereal, pizza and pasta. I had become a pickier version of my already very picky four year old self.</div>
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Maybe pregnancy is like old age, where we revert back to a childlike state (the last time I saw my great grandmother she was eating Coco Puffs), because of the few things I could imagine stomaching - all white foods of course - two where childhood favorites; bagels and Entenmann's crumb coffee cake. I still love bagels, so that wasn't surprising, but Entenmann's coffee cake? </div>
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You definitely can't get Entenmann's coffee cake here in Zurich. And I definitely wasn't going to rush to the grocery store and into the kitchen to make it. So I did without. I did without Bagels too, because although you can find the odd bagel around town, they just aren't that good. </div>
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Even though I'm back to eating all colors of the rainbow, I knew one of my first just-for-fun cooking projects would be to try and replicate Entenmann's crumb cake in my own kitchen. Thankfully Cooks Illustrated tackled the recipe a few years ago with promising results of thick buttery crumbs floating on soft yellow cake. This is not health food, I know, but I felt it was my duty as a pregnant woman to satisfy one of the only cravings I've had. And satisfy the craving it did. I can't say it tastes like the original, because it's been so long since I've had the original that I honestly can't remember what it tastes like. But if you are craving a fluffy cake covered in a dense crumb layer then this will definitely do it for you. </div>
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Entenmanns' New York Style Crumb Cake</div>
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from <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/login.asp?docid=8329"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Cooks Illustrated</span></a></div>
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*the key ingredient in this cake is cake flour. If you try and substitute all purpose flour your cake will come out dense and your crumb dry. If you don't want to buy cake flour or can't find it (we don't have it here in Zurich) then for every 1 cup of cake flour substitute 3/4 cup sifted all purpose + 2 Tbsp corn starch (a little mental math exercise). Sift the flour-corn starch mixture together at least 5 times to mix it and aerate it. </div>
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<b>crumb toppping</b></div>
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1/3 cup sugar</div>
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1/3 cup dark brown sugar</div>
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3/4 tsp cinnamon </div>
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1/8 tsp table salt</div>
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1 stick butter, melted but still warm</div>
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1 3/4 cup cake flour (7 oz) *</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1/4 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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6 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces, soft, but still cool</div>
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1 large egg</div>
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1 large egg yolk</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/3 cup buttermilk</div>
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Make the topping by combining the sugars, salt, cinnamon and melted butter in a bowl. Stir in the flour and continue stirring until you have a thick crumb mixture. Set aside, and let cool to room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes</div>
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Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish (I used a 9x7). Butter the dish and then put the parchment paper in. </div>
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In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and salt on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low add in the chunks of butter one at a time and mix until there are no large pieces and the mixture resembles a coarse crumb. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and buttermilk and beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about a minute or two. </div>
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Scrap the batter in your baking dish and top with an even layer of the crumb mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife/wooden skewer comes out clean. Let it cool on a wire wrack for 30 minutes. Eat and enjoy! </div>
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Not only did I take a break from cooking and blogging, but I also took a break from reading some of my favorite blogs. After trying to catch up on the months of posts that I missed I now have a nice looking list of things to make. Here it is in case you need some inspiration.<br />
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<a href="http://orangette.blogspot.ch/2013/03/we-have-rhythm.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Baked oatmeal</span></a> as recommended by <a href="http://www.alexandracooks.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Ali</span></a> and <a href="http://themoveablefeasts.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Amy</span></a><br />
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Speaking of Ali and Amy, I want to make Ali's <a href="http://www.alexandracooks.com/2013/03/19/pan-seared-lamb-chops-with-toasted-bread-crumb-salsa/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Lamp Chops</span></a> and Amy's Chicago Deep Dish <a href="http://themoveablefeasts.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/cook-illustrateds-chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pizza</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2012/10/baby-spinach-salad-with-dates-almonds/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">This</span></a> Spinach salad that I've been eyeing in the Jerusalem cookbook<br />
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Darcy's roasted vegetable <a href="http://www.darcyeden.com/posts/2013/1/11/roasted-vegetable-salad-with-honey-dressing.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">salad</span></a> with honey dressing sounds amazing<br />
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The tomato and sourdough <a href="http://www.sweetamandine.com/2012/12/mostly-tomatoes.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">soup</span></a>, also from Jerusalem, that Jess made sounds absolutely delicious.<br />
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These onion and potato <a href="http://butter-tree.blogspot.ch/2013/03/the-flavours-they-remembered.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">pierogis</span></a>, and I should probably also get the cookbook<br />
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I hope everyone had a nice weekend. It was sunny and beautiful here, which after a<i> long, <b>very</b> grey </i>winter was amazing. It looks like today is going to be even nicer. Time to head outside and take advantage because as the Swiss like to tell you, just because it's warm today, doesn't mean it won't snow tomorrow.<br />
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<br />Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-83747719922324000202013-04-07T15:28:00.000+02:002013-04-07T15:28:12.940+02:00hello againI'm back in the kitchen...<br />
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...with a bump!</div>
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Both are miracles, one a bit more miraculous than the other. The stripped sweater is covering five months of belly and baby growth. I'm due the first week of August. A summer baby. Our baby! Half me, half Zach, but entirely a new and unique little person. It's <i>amazing, mind boggling </i>and completely <i>awe inspiring, </i>and I'm loving every minute of it.</div>
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I've learned a few things along the way: that peanut butter and jelly on toast really is the ultimate comfort food; that maternity jeans are right up there with yoga pants as the best creation ever; and that the <i>thump thump roll thump</i> of a baby kicking from the inside is one of the most incredible feelings there is<i> </i>(I smile <i>every single </i>time). We are overjoyed and excited and so very thankful. </div>
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It wasn't my intention to stop blogging, but as it turns out morning sickness (all day sickness really) is kryptonite to a food blog. I didn't want to eat anything, let alone read about, write about, or cook food. Nope. I just wanted to lie on the couch and watch The Bachelor. And that's pretty much what I did until the extreme exhaustion of creating a human began to wane and I made my way back into the kitchen. It wasn't so much that I wanted to cook, but that I had reached my scrambled eggs and buttered toast threshold. I was cooking, but without gusto or inspiration. But then Friday something wild happened - I spotted a recipe, I ran out to get the ingredients, and I made it, just because, just for fun. It was a turning point, the first time I've done that since December, and I didn't even realize what was happening until the oven was preheated and the ingredients mixed. Sitting down with my bowl of toasted muesli I knew it was time to get back to the blog, so...</div>
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Hello Blog! </div>
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Hello Readers! </div>
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Hello delicious bowl of toasted muesli!</div>
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This muesli is adapted from a recipe that was featured in the October 2012 issue of Whole Living. It's called toasted muesli, and it falls somewhere in between muesli and granola. True muesli, as I've become acquainted with it over the last two years (it's a Swiss invention), is typically composed of raw oats, grains, nuts and dried fruit, all unsweetened and eaten with yogurt. It can be pretty mushy. Granola, composed mainly of oats and nuts, is sweetened and toasted in the oven to yield that satisfying crunchy texture. The millet and puffed quinoa pull this recipe towards a muesli, while the slight sweetness and crunch bring it towards a granola. Call it what you will - to each their own - but since I'm in Switzerland and muesli reigns supreme here, I'm going to stick with calling it toasted muesli. </div>
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Muesli/Granola is really all about personal preference. Use this recipe as a guide and adjust however you want (more nuts, less nuts, more fruit, less fruit, no coconut, way more coconut, etc). </div>
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Toasted Muesli</div>
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adapted from <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/185444/toasted-muesli-millet-coconut-pistachios-and-cranberries"><span style="color: red;">Whole Living</span></a> October 2012</div>
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1/3 cup boiling water</div>
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1/2 cup whole millet</div>
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2 cups oats (gluten free if desired)</div>
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3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes</div>
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1/2 cup sunflower seeds</div>
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3/4 cup mixed chopped nuts (I used pecans, almonds and walnuts)</div>
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1/2 cup maple syrup</div>
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3 Tbsp olive oil</div>
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1 tsp sea salt</div>
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2/3 cup dried cranberries</div>
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1/2 cup mixed assorted dried fruit chopped (apricots, apples, peaches, pear, etc)</div>
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1/2 cup puffed quiona</div>
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Preheat the oven to 325ºf / 160ºc</div>
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In a small bowl, pour boiling water over millet, cover with a plate and let sit for 30minutes. </div>
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In a large bowl mix the drained millet, oats, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds and the chopped nuts with the maple syrup, olive oil and salt. Stir to coat. </div>
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the muesli mixture out on it. Place it in the oven and bake, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is lightly toasted, about 20-30 minutes. </div>
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Let the muesli cool and then add the cranberries, chopped assorted dried fruit and the puffed quinoa. Stir to mix. Store the muesli in an airtight glass container for up to 2 weeks. </div>
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I hope I'm smart enough to make a batch or two of this muesli and hide it away for after the baby's arrival. </div>
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Goodness, it's hard to start blogging again after such a long absence. I have so much I want to say and catch you up on, but it's overwhelming. I don't know where to begin. I think I'll leave it at this for today and save the rest for future posts. Sound good? Please also feel free to send me any questions or advice. I'd love to hear from you. </div>
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Which reminds me, I wanted to thank those of you who emailed me during my hiatus to let me know that you were thinking of me and that you missed me here in this space. That really meant a lot to me. I missed you too! </div>
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Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-14703447113110155652012-12-04T17:42:00.000+01:002012-12-04T17:42:22.829+01:00satisfying a craving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm sitting here in the dark. It has been dark since about 3:30. I haven't gotten up out of my chair at the dining room table, where I'm camped out with my computer and blanket, to turn on any of the lights. It is also raining. The drip from the gutter onto the metal sheet beneath the bay window is mildly annoying, okay fine, very annoying. Unlike the light situation there isn't much I can do about the incessant drip, besides maybe turning some music on, or moving into a different room. That's a good idea actually, maybe I will bring my chair into the kitchen and slip my computer next to this nice loaf of bread, which if I'm lucky will still be warm and fragrant.<br />
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I started the dough this morning before I went to the market and I only just now had my first slice with peanut butter and jelly on it. I didn't wait for the bread to cool down. The top gave slightly as I cut into the still steaming center, but a nice slice found it's way on to the cutting board. I quickly cut a second piece, because although I like the end piece, I wanted my first bite to be from a soft middle piece.<br />
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This bread is hearty and grainy, made with whole wheat flour and full of all sorts of seeds. I like my bread that way, dense, full, textured. Sure I also like light and fluffy ciabatta and the big bubbles that form on soft pizza dough, but when it comes to bread that I'm going to toast (or eat hot out of the oven), I like it to have a little bit of depth, in flavor and composition.<br />
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I don't bake bread regularly, but I should. One of the cookbooks I leaf through most often is Tartine Bread. I have been meaning to start and feed a sourdough starter since last Fall. I can't seem to gather the courage to tackle it. I'm full of excuses. Last night when the urge to bake bread came over me I cursed my lack of ambition in the starter category. I had to look past Tartine Bread, and their beautiful rustic loaves, and towards bread recipes that utilized compressed and instant yeast. I eventually settled on a recipe from Sarabeth's Bakery for their house bread, their go-to sandwich, toast, everything loaf. It is a good recipe to start with; it is easy and it meets my seedy and dense criteria. I don't doubt that there are other loaves out there for me to try (please share recipes if you have any favorites). If these short, grey, and wet days continue on like this, which I have to believe they will since it's already been a month since we've seen sun, I will have plenty of time and desire to bake a variety of different loaves. But for now, this loaf is doing the trick.<br />
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// Whole Wheat Seed Loaf //</div>
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adapted from Sarabeth's Bakery: From Our Hands to Yours</div>
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As with many bread recipes the steps might seem complicated when really they are quite simple. The only hard thing about bread baking is the timing. You will need to allow of two rising periods, the first one being the longest. I met some friends for an impromptu lunch just as the second rise was finishing so I put the dough in the refrigerator to slow things down a bit. The dough sunk a bit, but it still tastes delicious. </div>
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1 oz compressed yeast (or 3 1/2 tsp active dry yeast - if you use the dry yeast be sure to note different initial instructions)</div>
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1/4 cup of honey</div>
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2 1/4 cups cold water</div>
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2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour</div>
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2 1/4 cups bread flour + more as needed (I substituted all purpose and added 2 tbsp of vital wheat gluten)</div>
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2 tbsp cornmeal</div>
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2 tbsp sesame seeds</div>
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4 tbsp flaxseeds</div>
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4 tbsp sunflower seeds</div>
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1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt</div>
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softened, unsalted butter for greasing the bowl and the pans. </div>
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If using compressed yeast crumble the yeast into the bowl of your stand mixer and add in the honey. Let it stand for a few minutes or until you notice the yeast giving off some moisture or bubbles. Whisk well to dissolve the yeast in the honey. (If using active dry yeast - sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup warm water (105º-115ºF) and let it stand for 5 minutes to soften the yeast, then stir to dissolve. Pour int othe mixer bowl, add 2 cups of water and the honey, whisky to combine. </div>
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Mix the flours, cornmeal, seeds and salt in a large bowl. Using the paddle attachment begin to mix the honey-yeast mixture and slowly add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until a dough begins to form. Gradually add in a bit more bread flour (about 1/2 cup or so depending) to form a rough dough that cleans the side of the bowl. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. Add a little more flour only if necessary. </div>
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Dump the dough out on to a clean work surface. You want the dough to be tacky not sticky. It should not stick to the counter. If it does knead in a bit of flour until the texture is right. Butter a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Leave in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 1/4 hours. </div>
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Cut the dough in half and form two equal sized balls. Place the balls under plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. Flatten each ball into a rough rectangle, 8 inches on the long side, and then fold in the edges, pinch the seems together and place seem side down in a buttered pan. </div>
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Place the two pans of dough on a baking sheet. Between the pans place a cup or vase full of hot water. Place the cookie sheet with the dough and glass into a kitchen sized plastic bag (I used a garbage bag) and seal the edges, partially trapping air inside. Let it stand for about 45 minutes until the dough has risen about 1 inch over the edge of the pan. </div>
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Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Remove the loaf pans from the cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow. Cool on a wire wrack. Or don't cool and slice and eat warm. </div>
Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-17324223188399133242012-11-30T21:41:00.000+01:002012-11-30T22:15:18.131+01:00Turn The TablesToday is the last day of consecutive blogging. I made it. Over the past four weeks I have shared <a href="http://www.housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/11/4562-miles-to-margaritaville.html" style="color: #990000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">recipes</span></a>, <a href="http://www.housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/11/madness.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">travels</span></a>, <a href="http://www.housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/11/bringin-berlin-home.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">recipes</span></a> inspired by travel, <a href="http://www.housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/11/an-anniversary-of-sorts-at-casablanca.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">ups</span></a>, and some <a href="http://www.housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/11/hugs.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">downs</span></a>. As things come to a close I have an unsettling feeling that I have been blabbering on, talking <i>at</i> you and not <i>with </i>you. I worry I've been like that dreaded cocktail guest who holds you hostage with their dull stories and doesn't ask you a single question. I hate those people. So I thought as I bring a close to this month of rattling that I'd ask YOU - my incredible readers - a few questions. I'll even answer them, just to break the ice, but really I'm hoping you'll answer them so I can learn a little bit more about you. (There is an amazing cookie waiting for you as a thank you!)<br />
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So here goes...<br />
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<b>On Cooking : </b><br />
What recipe or meal do you wish you had the courage to tackle?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">Duck Confit</span></i><br />
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Where do you look for / find inspiration?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">One of my favorite pastimes is wandering into grocery stores in foreign places. I drag Zach to all sorts of markets and food shops when we travel. I love seeing what's on the shelves and in people's baskets.</span> </i><br />
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What is the ideal number of people to cook for?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">4. After 4 I begin to get stressed. When I cook for 2 I generally make enough for 4 anyway, so 4 feels natural. </span></i><br />
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Is there a recipe you consider your go-to - perhaps a recipe that other people have named after you because you make it so often? (please feel free to share links!)<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">(Talley's)</span> <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/8908_roasted_fennel_white_bean_dip"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Fennel Dip</span></a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">and (Talley's)</span> <a href="http://housetohaus.blogspot.ch/2012/02/1-banana-bread.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Banana Bread</span></a></i><br />
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<b>On Writing (applies to all writing, not just blogging):</b><br />
Do you have a writing routine? Or do you write whenever you find a few spare minutes?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">I try to sit down every morning, before breakfast but with my tea, and write for thirty minutes. These morning notes are more me releasing the busy thoughts that are taking up precious space and that once I get down on paper make room for more productive ideas. When it comes to blogging, if this month has been any indication, I sit down after dinner and write, just like I'm doing right now. </span></i><br />
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What is your writing process? Do you start with index cards and baby step your way to a Word document or blog platform? Or do you dive right in?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">I am a slow and self-conscious writer. Before this blogging month I would write ideas - one or two lines - in a Moleskin and then draw those ideas out in bullet point form in a Word Document and then eventually start a new Word document (there is something refreshing about a blank page) and turn those points into sentences. And then finally rewrite everything in Blogger (I know!)</span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">This past month has loosened me up a lot. Now, after four weeks of daily posts, I have started writing directly in Blogger. It's liberating. I don't fret over ever word, I simply write down what I'm thinking in that moment and then press publish. There hasn't been much time for dilly dallying.</span> </i><br />
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Do you have any tips on how to ease the angst of writing and let the words flow?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">My only advice is those thirty minutes of morning pages. I'm really looking to you on this one... </span></i><br />
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<b>On Reading :</b><br />
What do you most enjoy reading about (here or on other blogs)?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">I love learning little personal details; being given little inlets into the writer/bloggers life.</span> </i><br />
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What are you reading when you aren't reading blogs?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">I followed</span> <a href="http://themoveablefeasts.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Amy's</span></a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">lead and downloaded </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><u>Jane Eyre,</u> <i>which I have been reading at night scrunched up on the couch. I also just recently bought two books by Michael Chabon - </i><u>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</u> <i>and </i><u>Telegraph Hill</u><i> which the NYTimes compared to one of our favorite movies -You've Got Mail. How could I not get it?</i></span><br />
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<b>On Eating:</b><br />
What's for dinner?<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><i>Zach is at a whiskey tasting so just me tonight. I made a butternut squash, onion, zucchini and tomato sauté and ate it with torn basil leaves over pasta. </i></span><br />
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Let's say there's something baking in your oven right this minute, what is it?<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">THESE (see below) cookies! You know they're done when they smell like melted Nutella.</span></i><br />
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* * * feel free to answer just one or three or all * * *</div>
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<i>(edit: of course now 20 minutes after posting I'm nervous you won't answer at all...so maybe just one?)</i></div>
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Every year at Christmas mom my makes sugar cookies, Aunt Julie's Sugar Cookies to be exact. After thinking about the recipes I'll be remembered for (see above) I decided I wanted to add a cookie to this list. I decided that one of my missions before Christmas arrives is to find <i>my </i>cookie. I might have found it on the first go. This buttery hazelnut cookie, which is just slightly crackly on the outside and melt in your mouth buttery on the inside, is the perfect bite size Christmas treat if you ask me. The fact that it looks like a snowball also doesn't hurt either. Let's talk about the real clincher though, the fact that this cookie smells like Nutella when it is baking. I opened the oven to check on their plumpness and doneness only to be met with the most wonderful scent, like I was floating down a river of smooth hazelnut chocolate. Granted there is no chocolate in this recipe, yet that is. David Lebovitz just recently posted a <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2012/11/baci-di-dama-cookies-recipe/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">recipe</span></a> for a surprisingly similar cookie with a chocolate layer. I'll be trying those next. </div>
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// Palle di Neve : Snowball Cookies // </div>
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from <u>Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome: Rome Sustainable Food Project</u><i> </i>by Mona Talbott and Mirella Mistenti</div>
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(more on this book and the American Academy in Rome in another post)</div>
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140 g / 5 oz hazelnuts</div>
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300 g / 2 cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour</div>
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230 g / 1 cup + 1 tbsp butter</div>
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85 g / 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar</div>
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5 ml / 1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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5 ml / 1 tsp water</div>
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325 g / 2 cups + 3 tbsp confectioners sugar for coating</div>
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Preheat the oven to 150ºC / 300ºF</div>
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Spread the hazelnuts evenly on a sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes or until the skins begin to split. While the nuts are still warm pour them into a kitchen towel. Cinch up the kitchen towel and rub with your hands in a circle direction to work the skins away from the nuts. The skins can be somewhat bitter so removing some or all of them is helpful. Lift the nuts out of the towel, leaving the skins behind, and place in a food processor and pulse with 2 tbsp of flour until they are an even sandy texture. </div>
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Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and water and mix until incorporated. Add the ground hazelnut mixture and the rest of the flour and continue to mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. </div>
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Remove the dough from the refrigerator and form into 80 balls, about 9 g / 1/3 oz each. At this point you can place the balls of dough in a zip lock bag and store the freezer for up to a month until you are ready to bake them.</div>
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When you are ready to bake the cookies heat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºC</div>
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Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between them. Allow the balls to come to room temperature (if they have been in the freezer). Bake for 10-12 minutes. </div>
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Cool the cookies completely on a wire wrack and then roll in confectioner sugar a few times, or sprinkle with a sifter a few times (of if you are like me you can do both). </div>
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These cookies are best freshly baked. (Although I baked them yesterday (made the dough Wednesday) and just ate one and they are equally delicious today as they were yesterday). </div>
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And so it ends, 4 weeks of blogging. It has been a wonderful experience, in a large part because I knew you were there reading. <i>Thank you!</i> </div>
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<i><br /></i>Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5413615485793018819.post-77285226323098325132012-11-29T23:15:00.000+01:002012-11-29T23:15:46.098+01:00Ratatouille from Ratatouille<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I knew there would be a few in this month of blogging - those posts that reek of desperation, of posting just to post. This might be one of them. I wish I could offer you something more as we near the end of this blogging streak, but I just don't have it in me today. I've been away from my apartment and computer for most of the day and it's late and I don't have the energy to be creative. You know that feeling? I'm guessing you do. Anyway, I'm hoping to redeem myself a little by sharing an outstanding recipe. It is the recipe for ratatouille from the movie Ratatouille. Thomas Keller helped the writers and animators with the food and recipe conception and he shared this recipe with the New York Times shortly after the movie was released. I love everything about the movie, but I especially love the idea that a simple stack of cooked vegetables, full of flavors so simple yet sublime, can evoke memories of love and family.<br />
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I made this ratatouille on Tuesday, after our Thanksgiving leftovers ran out and we felt the need to overdose on vegetables. It was actually in the oven as I was writing about detoxing and parsley root soup. I'm going to come right out with it - it was one of the best meals I've made in a long time. The zucchini melted into the eggplant which melted into the tomato which all melted in to my mouth. The pipernade - the sweet caramelized onions, tomatoes and peppers - that rests underneath the sliced vegetables brings all the flavors together and helps to soften the vegetables in the oven.<br />
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I'm going to leave you with the link for the recipe because my eyes are closing. I didn't adapt a thing, I just did exactly as I was told. I recommend you do the same.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/dining/131rrex.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Ratatouille (Confit Byaldi) </span></a><br />
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ps. picture is before I put it in the oven.Talleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02526439207082547500noreply@blogger.com3