The Divine Miss "N"

My Grandmother was a tough woman to love. She made being a participant in her life complicated, often maddening, and difficult… I don’t think she would have had it any other way.

Nita, (no one was allowed to call her “Grandmother”), came from another world and another time. Hers was a life of exquisite couture clothing, glamour, and hats. As a testament to that fact, I have two hand-drawn and signed birthday cards, depicting my Grandmother in said exquisite clothing, from none other than Yves Saint Laurent himself. Glamour indeed.

When I was a child, she taught me things that little girls growing up in America in the 1980’s, simply didn't learn. Things like: how to set a table properly, how to write a letter, how to walk properly, (there were teacups and books involved), how to answer the phone, how to speak to one’s elders. In essence, she put me through finishing school. I didn’t get it at the time. And while I didn’t dislike it, I longed for a different kind of Grandmother back then. Where was my cookie-making, story book reading, cuddly Grandmother? All my other friends had one?

It wasn’t until I was in High School that I got it. No, she didn't bake or cuddle, but Nita taught me things that I keep with me to this day. I look around me and see slouched shoulders and shudder. Anytime a cup of hot water arrives with the tea bag on the side, I send it back. Hot water goes over tea, not the other way around. I know where the oyster fork goes, how many people can say that?

Regal is a state of mind. I learned that from Nita. There wasn’t a royal bone in her body but you wouldn’t have known. She held herself like a queen. She ruled her kingdom with a fierce adherence to manners, decorum, and political prowess. Her court was visited by the powerful, beautiful, and popular. With a cold vodka in one hand, a monogrammed handkerchief in the other, no one could deny that she was, in fact, more divine than the Queen Mum could ever hope to be.

Today is Nita’s birthday. She left us for the big dinner party in the sky four years ago at the age of 100. Three beautiful, stylish, and talented women - my mother, auntie “rabbit,” and auntie “Mame” - will be toasting Nita with vodka and caviar tonight; glamour indeed. Sip gracefully ladies, she’ll be watching.

Happy Birthday Nita, wherever you may be, you taught me to be a Duchess and I’ll always love you for that. 

Birthday Cake

I've known D since grade school, fourth grade in fact. We've been through four or five different stages of awkward together... really, really, awkward. Together we've flown past our awkward teens, through our unsure 20's, and now are happily enjoying the start of our 30's with new found comfort in ourselves. There have been times that we haven't spoken out of annoyance, distance, or just being busy. There have been times when we needed each other and no one else would do.

Knowing D though, means knowing her specific likes and dislikes when it comes to birthday cakes. She's... picky, (and she's going to get me back for calling her that, I assure you!). She likes her cake moist, but not too moist. She doesn't like dark chocolate, only milk. Raspberries make her gag, but strawberries make her happy. So, I made her a moist, but not too moist yellow cake, with strawberries, not raspberries, in a chocolate, dulce de leche frosting. The frosting was risky... it's made with semi-sweet chocolate not milk chocolate. But thankfully, the frosting is too impossibly delicious not to love, so she did.

Yellow Cake

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup Triple Sec (or other fruity liquor)
-Let Strawberries it in Triple Sec until ready to use.

-Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10" circular cake pan or a 13x9 sheet pan. Dust the pan with flour and tap out excess.
-Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
-Beat butter with standing (with paddle attachment) or hand held mixer until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl.

-Mix together buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add the sifted flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over-beat.

-Drain Strawberries (save liquor) and mix into batter with a spatula - do not over mix.
-Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack. 

-With a pastry brush, brush the top of the cake using the Triple Sec the strawberries soaked in. Do this twice, letting the liquid soak in between brushes. Don't brush more than twice though or things can get soggy.

Chocolate Dulce De Leche Frosting

1 can dulce de leche (13 - 14 ounces)

5 ounces semi-sweet or darker chocolate

1/2 stick unsalted butter

-Chop chocolate into small pieces. If butter is isn't soft, cut into thin slices.

-In double boiler, melt chocolate, butter, and dulce de leche, mixing frequently with wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula.

-Continue to double boil until everything is melted and well incorporated.

-Let cool for a few minutes before frosting the top of the cake.

-Let the frosting cool and set-up before serving. 

This isn't a traditional frosting, it's a little thick and sticky, but so worth it!

A Gift to Myself

My Christmas gift to myself was a recipe box - a custom recipe box. My old one was metal and had rusted at the bottom so badly, it stained any surface it was on. I picked up my new one from the post office this past Saturday and tore it open like a kid. I know, I know, it's 2011. It's the age of iPad's and electric cars and why the hell do I need a recipe box? I'm fully aware that I could scan all my recipes into any number of devices I use day-to-day and with the push of a button summon my top secret chocolate chip cookie recipe. But besides the practical issues that include accidental batter dipped smart phones and oil-burned e-readers, there's something to be said about a recipe on 4x6 index card.

A friend called me a Grandmother when I enthusiastically showed her pictures of my new box. Personally, I couldn't think of a better compliment. I don't care how many doo-dads, canisters of compressed air, and precision cooking thermometers you have; nothing was better than your grandmother's mushroom barley soup. I can almost guarantee that soup recipe was written on a 4x6 index card. The corners of that card were soft and worn, probably bent, too. There were thirteen different colored stains on it and the perfect script of your grandmother's hand had all but faded to a mere shadow. 

Well here is my recipe box, just begging to be filled with my old stained recipe cards and new favorites yet to come. I found the woman who lovingly made this box on Etsy. Her store is called Gifts and Talents and she's a sweetheart. I asked for Wayne Thiebaud and cherries and that's exactly what she gave me. The first recipe to grace the box? My Godmother's Chutney Recipe... there are only three people in the world who have that recipe, I'm one of them. Now doesn't something that precious deserve a gilded home? I think so, too. 

Chili for a Friend

A friend of ours was having a rotten couple of days. Of course, my first instinct was to feed her. So I did. It's been cold, wet, and generally miserable weather-wise in New York - it's the kind of weather that begs for woolen socks, cups of tea, and something hearty. Nothing is heartier, easier, or more economical than Chili.

The great part about Chili is that its really a no recipe kind of dish, (that being said, there are some serious Chili connoisseurs who have very strict recipes and methods, I'm not one of them). Take ground meat (turkey, beef or some combination of the two), some tomato paste, yellow onions, garlic, salt & pepper; cook it in a big old pot with some kidney beans, canned crushed tomatoes, and a few healthy dashes of red wine vinegar. Let it all cook and bubble, then serve. If you can wait, chili is always better the next day though.

Because of it's simplicity, Chili is a great condiment dish. I serve my Chili with shredded cheddar cheese, sliced avocados, sour cream, Fritos or Dipsy Doodles, finely chopped white onions, and hot sauce. Let your guests customize their own bowl.

Along with a big ol' pot of chili, I made some equally easy sides. Maple roasted parsnips and carrots, and fried biscuits (don't judge until you've tried them!).


Maple Roasted Parsnips & Carrots
2 bunch carrots, washed and trimmed
6-8 parsnips, washed, and quartered
Vegetable oil (or other tasteless oil)
Real maple syrup
Salt & pepper

-Preheat oven to 400.
-Place veggies in roasting pan, coat lightly with oil, then salt and pepper. Drizzle the maple syrup on, so that the veggies are well coated but not sitting in a puddle (the maple syrup will burn in the oven, try to be sure that you haven't used it in excess).
-Roast for about 45 minutes give or take depending on size of veg. You want the veggies cooked through and caramelized.

Fried Biscuits
1 package refrigerated biscuits (regular size, if you buy a "home-style" biscuit, which are much larger, make sure to cut them in half before frying, otherwise the outside will cook and the interior will remain gooey)
Oil for frying
Butter & Honey

-Fry the biscuits until they puff up and are a deep golden brown. Approx 2 minutes per side.
-Drain on paper towel and serve immediately with butter and honey.

You know you want them....

Foodie Gifts

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Mine was busy and exhausting and wonderful all at the same time. It's been a while since I've posted and since we're still munching on leftovers at our place, I thought of something else to share with everyone besides a recipe. It's that time for gift-giving and if you still don't know what to get your favorite foodie, I have some ideas for you in every shape, size, dollar amount, and color. I'll let you know that given the space, I would own each an every item listed here. 

(That totally wasn't a massive hint, hint, wink, wink, to all my family and friends or anything...)

Desu Deisgn 1-Line Spice Rack

This is slick, cool, useful, and can fit in any kitchen. 

At $199.99 its pricey, but if you've got the cash to spare this makes a stellar gift. 

Lattice and Apple Pie Pocket Molds

Talk about cute! 

For $16.95 these are affordable on every budget 

and lets face it who wouldn't want an apple pie pocket?

Salt Trader.com Gift Collections

I for one love exotic salts and peppers. 

I have two kinds of pink (Hawaiian and Himalayan), gray, black, 

and various herb-infused salts that I use all the time. 

Salt Trader.com is bastion of exotic salts and they have gifts 

ranging from $10-$35. Explore the site it's a fave of mine. 

Vintage-Inspired Aprons

I have a custom apron in cherry oil cloth and I love it. 

She's not doing any custom orders until New Year, 

but there are still plenty of options in her store. 

Ranging from $20-$65 you can find an apron for anyone. 

If you can't find anything you like, just try typing in "Custom Aprons" 

into the etsy.com search prompt... you'll find hundreds of sellers!

Zoku Quick Pop Maker

I can't think of a better gift for a foodie mom or dad than this. 

This little number makes frozen yogurt, fruit,
and other kinds of pops in under 10 minutes!

It's also under $50 - you can't go wrong.  

 Enamelware Collection from Vivaterra.com

I can't tell you how much I love this entire collection.
It's bright and happy and durable. 

It's impossible not to smile over this.
With prices ranging from $29-$49 its easy to start a collection.

Venetian-Style Champagne Flutes

I think these are just stunning and completely unexpected. 

Modern but delicate, these flutes would be a brilliant
addition to any one's cupboard. Tumblers and wine glasses
are available as well, but to me its the flutes that
are the show stoppers. You get six flutes for $70 which
considering how stunning these are is very much worth it.

Bodum Bistro Juicer

There are lots of version of this kind of juicer. 

Braun used to make one that I loved that you can no longer find alas,

 but this one is a Bodum and I happen to like Bodum a great deal. 

It might be more than slightly indulgent, but isn't that what gift giving is for? 

This one runs for about $70 and comes in different colors with two matching glasses,
but you can find the same concept juicer for about $45 at places like amazon.com

Larousse Gastronomique 

It's the classic cookbook to trump all classic cookbooks. 

Actually, it's more a cooking encyclopedia than cookbook,

 but it's a must for any cookbook lover or collector. 

This version is $55, but look around you'll find all sorts of 

version for various amounts - some even come in volumes. 

Foodie Charities:

There are a slue of extremely worthy charities that focus on providing

 food and water for those who need it most. These are just a list of some of my favorite, 

but with a simple google search you can find hundreds. 

Filter Pure

This charity is one of the best water organizations I've come across and I have a fellow blogger to thank for introducing me. They work with communities around world to better their drinking supply in a tangible and immediate way. They provide people with their own ceramic water filter that is 99.9% effective and lasts for an astonishing 5 years. Best part is, they teach locals in the community how to make these filters themselves thereby ensuring that people who need it most will always have safe drinking water at their disposal.

Food Bank for the City of New York

The Food Bank collects all kinds of foods from fruits, veggies, grains, canned goods, etc and stores them at their facility. There is a distribution program, but for those who need it, they are welcome to come to the "bank" and take what they need. There are food banks and pantries across the country though, so if you'd like to help out locally, see which bank or pantry is closest.

Heifer International

Instead of simply handing out food and water, this organization actually reaches out to people and helps them help themselves. Whether it's learning to grow crops and sustain them, or starting up a goat farm, Heifer makes sure that people have the start-up tools they need to become well fed and well educated. 

You can choose which project you'd like help out with and they will keep you updated
on the success of your donation.

On Blogging

I believe that given the chance, everyone would press pause. We live in a too-fast world; we interface, we tweet, we text. We walk down the street and close ourselves off with iPods. Instead of taking a breather, we grab what’s fastest and easiest for lunch.  At night we anesthetize ourselves by watching people on TV with awful fake tans yell and hit each other. We forget that rosemary and thyme make everything smell terrific, sugar and spice makes everything nice, and nothing is as pleasurable as the company of those we love.

If I can remind people of the pleasure of herbs and spices, I’d be pleased. If I can convince people that food and cooking are manifestations of love, I’d be thrilled. And when I write something that touches a reader enough to stop, breathe, and boil water even just once a week … I’m fulfilled.

I can’t help but wonder if Pauline and Olga felt the same way. After I started blogging, I discovered that two of my great, great grandmothers wrote about food:  Olga wrote about entertaining and Pauline, a journal of her struggles keeping kosher in South Africa during the turn of the last century. I’d always heard that Olga was an endlessly elegant woman and Pauline was an amazing cook and that’s all I knew. But my new found link to these women in my own history makes my journey through blogging that much more important: no longer an indulgence, I’m now continuing a tradition. I’m writing my book on entertaining and recording my food journal one blog entry at a time.

As a child, I traveled around the world with my parents. No matter where we were, whether it was a beach shack in Guadeloupe or a three star restaurant in Spain, my father would say: “You don’t have to like it …” and my mother would finish with “ … but you have to try it.” And almost everywhere we went people would say, “That young child is eating that?” Yes, that young child ate squid ink pasta at five, calamari a la plancha at six, raw fish at about seven, and sweetbreads at eight. The best, however, was when a four-year-old me declared that the only egg I ever intended to eat again, was caviar.

 

My 3rd Birthday

But after a long day at work, followed by a long commute on the subway, am I really going to make cayenne-spiced, bacon-wrapped bonbons, or suggest that my readers do? No, probably not. I share recipes with my readers that I hope they will actually be inspired to make. (Hmm, cayenne-spiced, bacon-wrapped bonbons…)

I see my blog as a love letter:  to my parents for encouraging me to become who I am; to my friends for laughing with me and asking for seconds; to my readers, all of whom I would invite over to dinner in a heartbeat; and finally, to my husband, without whom this blog would be a boring, unattractive, anemic thing. 

I cook, I write, I live, and love in Brooklyn. And that’s not just some well-alliterated sentence; it’s a truth that I hold onto dearly. With this blog, I invite people into my kitchen to share my life. I hope my readers find that moment to pause and delight in the people and foods around them.

Somewhere, Olga and Pauline are setting a table and kneading dough. They’re with me, nodding in approval, as I record my own culinary history and share it with the world.

  Great Grandmother Olga

Great Grandmother Pauline

                                                                  
             

 

 

                    

A Celebratory Tea

Four friends met at Lady Mendl's Tea Salon this past Saturday wearing their best summer frocks and pearls. After all, it isn't everyday that three of those friends become Aunties! One of my dearest friends is expecting, she emailed me from Japan while on vacation with her family to let me know - I squealed and jumped about. We went to high school together, then college. She met her husband while abroad in Japan, they've been together ever since. She moved to Minnesota and although I don't get to see much of her, email and phones keep us close.

So when she told us (myself and her two other besties) that she would be here for August, we knew we had to do something to celebrate. High Tea was the consensus. I had always wanted to go to Lady Mendl's and I was so happy to finally have an reason. It was sublime.

Housed in a restored brownstone at Irving Place, Lady Mendl's is exactly what you hope it would be. Gold wall paper, sweet smells, ladies in dresses and hats. We were treated to a five course tea that was one of the best I've ever had. From a Mushroom Puff to start, Tea Sandwiches, cookies and chocolate dipped fruit, one of the most amazing Mille Crepe Cakes I've ever had (if you can, stop by Lady M Confections, no relation to Lady Mendl's, and try some - you won't be disappointed), scones with clotted cream and jam, and of course tea. The whole affair was was well worth the cost which just happened to be very reasonable indeed.

 Mushroom Puff appetizer,

Lady Mendl's famous Mille Crepe Cake,

Four pots of tea for four friends...

Of course, in the end it wasn't about the pastries or the Darjeeling, it was about our friend and the little star growing inside her. We won't be there to see her through the process, but you can be rest assured that there are three Aunties in New York ready and willing to spoil!

A Block in Brooklyn

After weeks of stifling, miserable, all consuming heat, Mother Nature gave us a break.

It was beyond lovely this weekend. We turned off the air conditioners, put in the window fans, and even had to sleep under a blanket at night. Saturday morning I took a walk through the 'hood to get some food for the week - to 5th avenue for olive oil and fresh feta at the Greek market, and also to my favorite fruit and vegetable lady who always has a megawatt smile on. Back to 3rd Avenue to the grocery store and down a street that took my breath away... Everywhere I looked there was something beautiful, charming, or funny to look at. It could have been the lovely weather, the sunshine, or just my general happiness about grocery shopping (a task that I love), but I found myself taking out my phone and clicking away at the shutter button.

This is what I saw:

 Sunflowers climbing toward the roof,

A Sunflower saying hello to it's neighbor, (she still has her hair net on!),

 A chipping, peeling, rusting door that I hope they never touch,

This plant obviously brought back from Jupiter,

A riot of pink and yellow,

Said riot of pink and yellow making a break for it,

A chair fit for a princess,

The alien plant's cousin,

A patriot amongst the weeds,

 The newsstand cat, posing.

These simple stuffed cherry tomatoes that just happened to make their way to our lunch table.

Stuffy Cherry Tomatoes

Large cherry tomatoes

Bread crumbs

Grated Parmesan cheese

Seasoning of choice

Olive oil

Butter (or the fake stuff like Smart Balance)

-Preheat oven to 425. Drizzle some olive oil on the baking sheet, set aside.

-Wash tomatoes. Cut off the tip of the bottom end (in other words, NOT the stem end, you need that side intact for balance). Using a small spoon, pairing knive, grapefruit spoon, or any other tool that can do the job, scoop out the seeds and flesh from the tomato, discard.

-The crumb to Parmesan ratio is 2 to 1. So 2/3 cup crumbs, to 1/3 cup Parm for example. Add seasoning to taste. I used a mixed Italain dry herb mixture, but you could use Herbs de Provence, Old Bay Seasoning, or some other mix you like. Taste the mixture, depeinding on the cheese and seasoning you may want more salt or pepper. 

-Stuff the tomatoes, patting down the mixture then topping off each tomato with more crumbs. 

-Before baking, put a small dab of butter on each tomato. Bake for 20 minutes or until the crumbs are golden and the tomatoes have wrinkled but kept their shape.

A Supper Club in Queens

I thought they were myths, urban legends... I was wrong.

When I got an email from a friend saying she wanted to take me to a Low Country Shrimp Boil in Queens but I had to act quickly, there wasn't much thought to my immediate yes. After all, besides the food sounding amazing, how many times would I ever hear Low Country and Queens in the same sentence? How could I say no? So last night, four friends made their way to Queens after work, each armed with a bottle of wine.

*A quick side-note here, I'm no great wine connoisseur, that being said, I took the advice of the man behind the counter when the Riesling I wanted wasn't there. I walked away with a bottle of Geil Scheurebe Kabinett Bechtheimer Heiligkruez 2009, it was exquisite and it was also almost gone within 30 minutes of opening - needless to say I highly recommend it. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Through the doors of the unassuming townhouse, up the stairs, and into a feast! On the back patio, overlooking the garden we were treated to boiled peanuts that were salty, spicy, and so irresistible. They were so good in fact, so wonderfully lip tingling, (maybe my favorite food of the night), that I will be desperately trying to re-create them at home.

Two long folding tables graciously set with tablecloths, mix-matched plates, tea candles, and bright colored napkins met us in the living room where all the furniture had been pushed aside. Wine glasses were simply unscrewed mason jars and the gansta' rap was pumping from the other room. Eventually we eased into something in a more soothing 60's soul, but nothing like a little Snoop to get the appetite roaring. As twenty hungry people sat to eat, salad with buttermilk-mint dressing, not to be believed collard greens with enough bacon to make you beg for more, and a stewed tomato dish with wax beans that was perfectly tomato-y and acidic were served.

When it was time for the main event we passed the bowls down to our neighbors eying the mound of goodies hungrily. Whole red potatoes, corn, shrimp, amazing sausage, peas... it was cooked to perfection and hit every Low Country spot I never knew I had.

The people around me were various colors, orientations, and backgrounds. A teenager sat next to a TV producer, sat next to a real estate agent, who sat next to a med student. The only thing we shared in common was a love of food and an appreciation for our host and chef. As the night wore on and people became happier and happier from full bellies and full glasses, cheers to the chef were shared but not before desert.

Peaches and figs and rum and sugar and rose-water scented whipped cream, oh my!

Our hostess was gracious, energetic, and shared her love of food with us, who could ask for more. Her ever present dish towel over her right shoulder, her wonderfully spiky red hair, combined with her sense of good food and company was a gift. After hugs, pecks on cheeks, and invitations to come to next months dinner party, four friends left to make their long way back to Brooklyn. Despite the plentiful amounts of food in my belly and the lingering headache from too much wine, there was a lightness in my step - I had found and conquered the urban legend and didn't it taste divine!

The Birthday Boy

My husband turns thirty next week.

In the grand scheme of birthday's, its a biggie, a milestone. For some our age, turning thirty is a terrifying prospect. Its time to buckle down, become a homeowner, a parent, a useful member of society... I feel that pressure too, but somehow, it's not driving me nuts. My husband and I have talked about this quit a bit actually. Somehow, by having each other, thirty doesn't feel like some major event. Instead, it simply feels like another year together - another birthday we get to share.

Without him I know I'd be stressed - I'd be a bundle of nerves.

"What am I doing with my life?"
"Will I ever find someone to love me?"
"I'm not getting any younger!"

I did find someone to love me, thank you, Honey.

Of course I'm still not sure what I'm doing with life yet, and no, I'm not getting any younger, but I have someone with me now to help figure it all out and someone to age with. Some might laugh at me thinking of aging at the tender age of thirty, but I can't help it. My parents have been married for over thirty years, my husband's parents even longer. I've seen them age and change and fight and laugh together for twenty-nine of those years, and through it all, the very fact that they have each other has, I think, made things less scary and more possible. Although we haven't been married long, that's how I feel too. I feel the possibilities. Together we can figure "it" out, and we'll do it bravely.

I like to think about how much we've already grown as a couple. I know for a fact that I've calmed down. Not that I was a jittery mess before, but certainly it was harder to let things go. I would let things fester inside - not unlike cucumbers slowly pickling in jar. I don't let that happen anymore. As for him, I'd like to think that besides introducing him to a world of food he was unaware before, I've made him a happier soul. There's a lightness about him now that wasn't there when we met. He laughs more.

You're probably wondering what meal I have planned for his big 3-0. What manner of beast I'll be roasting, what kind of chocolate I'll be melting... I could tell you, but then the surprise would be ruined. Instead I'll promise you that our tummies and hearts will be full. We'll laugh and kiss and eat something yummy. As the night winds down, we'll talk about my coming thirtieth in July and once again reiterate together that thirty is in fact, just another number.

*We found this print of the couple under the Brooklyn Bridge on etsy.com. We loved it so much we had it framed.

It hangs in our hallway, right by the door. We see it every time we leave or enter the apartment.

The artist/store Art Shark Designs, has the red umbrella couple around the world and country. 

They're all beautifully done and make wonderful gifts.

Brooklyn is Blooming

This morning I kissed my elderly gentleman caller. You might recall my mentioning him. I see him almost every morning as I walk to the subway for work. We pass each other as he makes his way home from church. He walks with two canes, wears a cap, always has a different church lady with him (he's a terrible flirt), and calls me doll. Today he called me over from across the street, handed me a small vial of holy water, and told me to "keep it with you doll, it'll keep you safe." I kissed him on the cheek as thanks and purposely failed to mention that I'm  Jewish... it's only a mere trifling technicality after all.

Perhaps it's something in the air - something in the blossoming trees, but on his way to work today, my husband also had a Godly moment. He was on the platform waiting for his train. There was a school trip of some kind, the platform was crowded with High Schoolers. Suddenly, they all began singing Amazing Grace in harmony. When they were finished, they sang other church songs until the train showed up. He said it was amazing. I can only imagine it was.

On my way home from work last night, inspired by the smells and sights of Spring around me, I decided to make something I haven't made in a long time: Tomato Soup. Some might think cold nights and snow on the ground, but for me, Tomato Soup screams Spring and Summer. First off, tomatoes are at their best in the height of summer and secondly, I don't like my Tomato Soup hot -  I like it cool. This large pot-worth is good for about eight people or two with days of leftovers.

So in honor of things budding, being protected by kindly gentleman callers, and being blessed by kids singing on subways, here is my Tomato Soup recipe.


Cool Dill Tomato Soup

6 large ripe tomatoes (Vine Ripened, Hot House, Heirloom, doesn't matter. You could even use yellow, orange, or purple tomatoes for that matter -  I would only advise to use all the same color otherwise you might get a muddy-colored tomato soup and that isn't terribly appealing. If you can't get them large, use 7-8 medium, or 8-9 small)
3 large Sweet onions (if you can't find Sweet or Vidallia, use Spanish or Yellow, but less of them, maybe 2 or 2.5 depending on size)
3 large garlic cloves
1/3 cup tomato paste
3.5 cups of low sodium chicken stock (you can use veg stock too to make this completely vegetarian)
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill (a little more a little less is fine too)
2 cups fat free plain yogurt (if you want to bring this to the next yumm level, use creme fraiche instead)
Salt and pepper to taste

-Cut tomatoes and onions into chunks, place in large pot
-Add garlic, tomato paste, stock, salt and pepper (be sparing, you can always add more salt) to pot, mix and let boil
-Lower to simmer and cook with cover for 15-20 minutes until onions are tender and cooked through
-Add yogurt and blend with immersion blender until smooth (you can also use a blender or food processor in batches)
-Adjust seasoning and add chopped dill, mix
-Let rest in pot and serve either room temperature or let it chill in the fridge for a bit until its cool, not cold

*I always garnish my tomato soup with popcorn, but you can use anything: corn chips, extra dill, even roast chicken or shrimp, anything really.

Ode to: The Contessa

The Lady in Amagansett

She cooks in her kitchen with ease,

Tossing fresh mint with Spring peas,

Of her life I am jealous,

(Of her recipes, zealous),

Silver bowls! Fresh flowers! French cheese!

                                         -Duchess, 2010

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Cooking with Jesus

I go into a different state when I cook. The rhythm of the chopping knife, the feel of a wooden spoon stirring, the sound of sauces bubbling away… for a moment I’m in that place Whirling Dervishes must visit as they spin – a place that’s complete and whole, focused and at ease.

On one of my first dates with my husband, I made a grilled cheese sandwich – it turned out to be the most important grilled cheese sandwich of my life. The very act of cooking for a man I was dating was nothing new for me, but it was for him. No woman had ever cooked just for him before. That simple grilled cheese sandwich meant more than cheese and bread to him. Although I’m sure he couldn’t pinpoint it at the time, my cooking for him and continuing to do so, feels like the manifestation of my love.

He would love me without the food, I know that, but it’s the cooking that has made us a family. It’s the cooking that has grounded and given us a sense of home in our Brooklyn rental apartment. Either one of us could get a job in Topeka, Kansas tomorrow. We would pack up our stuff and drop it off under our new roof unsure of what was to come. I know that foreign roof simply wouldn’t be home until I made us dinner.

Spirituality is what comes to us when we least expect it, just like love. I know how to find my bliss. I know that if the world is pounding on my head, if everything is upside down and I feel like screaming, there is fire and a big pot on the stove to silence the noise. There is some indefinable need that draws me to the kitchen - it’s a calling, it’s that insistent burning bush.

We live in a world of great beauty - it’s easy to forget that sometimes. It’s harder yet to remember that while we can’t control the world around us, we can control the world inside us. I wouldn’t know what to say to Jesus if I bumped into him, but I would invite him over to dinner in a heartbeat.

You can meditate and pray, you can cry and light candles, but I'll be turning on my stove and taking out my chopping board. My inner God, Shiva, Buddha, Shekinah, and Mother Earth shimmer like water hitting hot oil in a pan and my prayers are always answered.

Amen.

Caesar Salad fit for a... Duchess

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like Caesar Salad. Throw some chicken or shrimp over it and you’ve got meal. My husband gets very territorial about his Caesar… he scowls when someone dares take a plateful for themselves. A favorite meal is a good bowl of soup and a heaping plate of C.S.

Personally, I hate those little anchovy bones; they make me gag. And, unless I see the chicken the egg came from, I don’t eat them raw. So I fiddled with a few recipes until I came up with this: no anchovy filets, and no raw eggs. Also, unlike a lot of other recipes, the croutons are baked not deep or pan fried. So, enjoy and be sure to make enough!

This serves 4-5. If you’re making it as a meal with some kind of protein, then 2-3 people.

If you’re my husband, it’s enough for 1.

Croutons:
1 Loaf of good bread, 10 or so ounces (can be almost anything you like, personally I go for a rustic Italian). Crusts removed, and cut into 1” cubes
1 tbs olive oil
2 ½ tbs unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ tsp salt

Salad:
3 Romaine hearts (it usually comes in packages of 3)
4 2 ½” - 3” stripes of anchovy paste (the length of an actual anchovy filet)
2 large cloves of garlic (3 small), cut in quarters
1 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
½ cup of olive oil (could be more depending on personal tastes)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

-Preheat oven to 400
-In a bowl, combine melted butter, 1 tbs of olive oil, ½ tsp cayenne, and 1 ½ tsp salt with cubed bread. Place on baking sheet and put in hot oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown
-While croutons are cooking, place garlic, 1 tsp of salt, and 4 stripes of anchovy paste in a wooden salad bowl. Using two forks, mash the garlic, anchovy paste, and salt together until the garlic is in small pieces
-Add mayo, Dijon, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and pepper to bowl, mix well with fork
-Slowly whisk in the ½ cup of olive oil until dressing is well combined and creamy. Taste the dressing. Sometimes I find it needs a little more lemon juice at this point. If you’d like a more mellow flavor, add more olive oil 1 tbs at a time until you are satisfied (keep in mind, you have not yet added the parmesan cheese)
-Remove any tough or bruised leaves from the hearts, cut off the bottoms, then chop the hearts. Add to salad bowl
-Add the 1 cup of parmesan and mix the entire salad very well… you don’t want any dressing left at the bottom of the bowl
-By now the croutons should be done. Remove from the oven and add to the salad, serve