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November 29, 2005
hassle-free
I really wish seeing my family was more hassle free. between the arranging of the flights and the counting of days in the US for taxes and all the blah blah blah, it really makes me sad.
Posted by talia at 7:31 PM | Comments (1)
November 23, 2005
Thanksgiving Day Menu
First Fare:
Corn Bisque with Drop Biscuits
Amuse:
Oysters
Main Event:
6 kg Roasted Turkey
Friedman Family Traditional Cornbread Stuffing
Marshmallow Yams ala Alec
Brussels Sprouts with Chevre and Walnuts
Roasted Root Vegetables with Salt Cured Country Ham
Cranberry Compote
Salad with Persimmons, Pears, and Pomegranate
Shitake Gravy
Dessert:
Jorge's Pumpkin Pie
Michiel's Pecan Pie
Daantje & Fidel's Apple Pie
Cisca's stoofpeertjes
Cheese Course
Posted by talia at 10:57 AM | Comments (1)
November 21, 2005
Sunday Breakfast MeMe
I really went all out this Sunday. Feasting on several courses.
Started out with my usual coffee.
Continued with a piece of cake
Then, and this is where the "all out" comes in, I made Hollandaise sauce, poached three eggs, baked and then toasted two bagels, and fried up some bacon.
To work off some of the calories, I cleaned the kitchen and then took a well earned Sunday nap.
Posted by talia at 11:45 AM
November 20, 2005
Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze
I added a new cake to my repertoire this week. Easy to make and delicious. I made a few changes to it as the original recipe stuck me as way too sweet. Even with my changes, the cake was quite sweet but the tart apples were just the right contrast.
Cake:
1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (I USED “ONLY” 1 CUP)
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples
Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Brown Sugar Glaze: (I SKIPPED THIS PART, OVERKILL FOR A BREAKFAST CAKE. PERHAPS I’LL TRY THIS IN THE NEXT ITERATION AND SERVER THE CAKE WITH A TART CREAM)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.
In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.
To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.
Posted by talia at 8:57 AM
November 19, 2005
Thanksgiving
Preparations for my favorite holiday are in full swing. We are celebrating in Amsterdam this year since we've traveled only very recently to the US and another such trip just doesn't fit into our schedules. The Traditional Holiday Feast will be missed, though we will do our best to recreate it here in our home.
The turkey has been ordered, though I am considering upping the size to 6.5kg. We will be 10 people (and two small babies) around the table and by all measures, I am told that a 6kg will feed us all and give us leftovers. At first I was a bit concerned about such a big bird fitting into my oven, but I know now that it will.
We will be brining.
We will be starting the roasting breast side down.
I am not yet sure if I will go with high heat as has recently been suggested to me, or the tried and true method.
The bird will be stuffed, but I will not cut into the uncooked breast to fill it with herbs as was suggested in the most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated. To me that sounds like the guarantee of a dry bird.
There will be no dry bird.
There will be gravy.
Heck, we even today found large marshmallows.
____________________
This entry is the 100th entry of my on-line journal.
Many more to come.
Posted by talia at 4:14 PM | Comments (1)
November 17, 2005
dedikkevandam
I never before today went to a party held in a supermarket and I never after today do I ever want to go to a party not held in a supermarket.
This was a particularly interesting supermarket because a) I've never been to it before and b) it's the supermarkets where restaurants go to shop.
The party was particularly fabulous since a) it was the book opening party for Johannes's newest book, a comprehensive food dictionary - many congratulations Johannes! b) we were greeted not only by Johannes at the door but with a glass of delicious champagne, c) as we strolled the beautifully stocked baskets of produce and lanes of cheeses, meats and other treats, we got to nosh on pates, rare beef, wines, and mussels, and d) we met the mayor!
Posted by talia at 9:40 PM
November 16, 2005
Adventures in Exploration
A friend recently suggested an effective exercise to define goals and the process to achieve them. Simply by moving to different parts of the room, we were able to simulate different situations and thought patterns. It was very exciting to see how a turn of the gaze could have such a big effect.
From where I was originally seated, I was asked to describe how I see my business now. I replied that it’s been a bit stagnant but a recent success has me thinking positively about it, a sense that there is some movement. Then she asked me to get up and to move to a new location, she asked me what I see in front of me and how I can tie it into my business. Since I was on a corded line, I didn’t have many options, but I stood up and moved toward the kitchen. I saw a space I enjoy to be in, there is creativity and organization, there is daily activity, there is something always brewing or simmering. I was then asked (since there were no more new locations I could move to) to describe how the rock star in me would see my business. Building on the momentum from the kitchen, I expressed how I host an open studio, to build a community of designers and to put on shows and sales.
And just like that a destination was built with the roads to get there. Eager to start making tracks, I am busily creating a “kitchen” out of my studio. Admittedly the studio has hit rock bottom. A friend worriedly asked if an animal was living there, another said the room scared him. So, last night I started putting things away. Today I rearranged the furniture. This week I hope to have the whole space neat, clean, and organized so that pots can start simmering there too.
Posted by talia at 1:16 PM
November 15, 2005
More Adventures in Exploration
Posted by talia at 12:16 PM