Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Easiest Solution To The Budget Crisis

Don't raise the debt ceiling. Period. That will have the same force as a Balanced Budget Amendment. Imagine the scrambling that would go on then. I'd love to see it happen, but I'm sure it won't.

OT Tip - Activity Book Ideas


I am very excited about this OT Tip. This is my very first vblog post!! One of the schools I work for got us all Mac book computers and they have a camera built in. So I decided instead of you just reading my OT Tip, you can see it too!! I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think!


P.S. I am having trouble with youtube loading the video correctly, so you will notice my voice is a little ahead of the video. It's better than it was though, before the video was way ahead of my voice. Any tips would be appreciated, it is driving me nuts!! haha 

Pick your own rising star chef

February 17

Well, the James Beard Foundation released its list of 403 semi-finalists in its chef and restaurant categories (not including the design and graphics awards, which don’t have semi-finalists).

It’s a relatively fresh list, with only about half of last year’s semifinalists returning, which is about in line with the number of returning semifinalists last year, too.

For the most part, the Beard Awards are a nice feather in your cap that if marketed properly can help boos sales in restaurants, and that’s about it.

But the Rising Star award, given to chefs aged 30 or younger, can be a real career maker. Just ask Nate Appleman or Marcus Samuelsson or Chris Lee or David Chang or any of a number of other chefs who benefited from that nice piece of recognition.

Nominations of semifinalists for the Beard Awards is open to the public, but now the final determination of the finalists and then the winners will be determined by a few hundred food writers and past winners and other people-in-the-know in the restaurant world.

Except here. I’ll be keeping the poll to the right, listing all of the Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star” semifinalists, open until the day before the finalists are announced. So go ahead and vote.

Last year the winner of the Food Writer’s Diary poll, Jonathan Sawyer, didn’t even make it into the finals of the actual Beard Awards. However Food & Wine magazine did name him one of the country’s 10 “Best New Chefs,” which is arguably better than being a Beard Foundation rising star.

I doubt that had anything to do with this poll, but go ahead and vote anyway. Let your voice be heard.

The New Era Cottage Cookbook

















For the last couple of days I’ve been working on the New Era Cottage Cookbook, a project that I’ve undertaken with Bruce, the brother-in-law of a good friend, whose Michigan cottage I’ve visited every year, save one, since 2002. Bruce and I began gathering a collection of the recipes that have been cooked at the cottage over the years, including several from family members who are no longer with us. Coach’s Potato Salad and Rudy’s Hot Fudge to name just two. It is an act of love for both of us, perhaps a gift to the next generation of cottage-goers who want to know more about the food that nourished their moms and dads on steamy Michigan evenings.

But, as my regular dinner guest pointed out a couple of nights ago over spicy meatballs with sour cherries, rice, and tzatziki, working on it is also a distraction from writing my cookbook, a project that is both intimidating and exciting. I’d like to think that I’m learning something about doing my cookbook from organizing New Era. But actually I think his assessment is correct. I’m overwhelmed by my own project; this one seems manageable. Is there a way to make my cookbook project more manageable? Now that’s a really good question.

While I’m mulling that over, the following blog gives you two of the New Era recipes. They have been cooked a multitude of times—but not by me. I only just made the Hot Fudge last night for the first time—and I can report that it is every bit as good as I remember from the cottage. Let me know what you think.

New Era Recipes

Coach’s Potato Salad





















6 Idaho potatoes
5 hard-boiled eggs
1 small onion
Salt and pepper
5 kosher dill pickles
2 cups Hellman’s mayonnaise (Grandpa insisted on Hellman’s)
Note: Check out Bruce’s suggestion below for substituting light mayo, buttermilk or yogurt for some of the Hellman’s.
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon sour cream

1. Boil potatoes and cool to room temperature. Peel and dice.
2. Chop eggs and mince onions. Stir together potatoes, eggs and onion in a bowl and chill. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. To make the dressing, chop pickles and combine them with remaining ingredients. Chill.
4. Combine chilled potatoes and dressing and return to fridge. Check for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Best after several hours in fridge when flavors have had a chance to combine.

Bruce’s notes:
*While this salad is beloved in the family “as is,” we all realize the 2 cups of mayo contains a lot of fat and cholesterol. I have successfully “lightened” the salad by using “light” mayo, reducing the total mayo by at least ½ cup and upping the vinegar a little bit. Another possibility, but not tested, would be the addition of low fat buttermilk in place of some of the mayo and probably eliminating the sour cream.
*I also have added more mustard. Grandpa always used to ask “Is there enough mustard in the potato salad?”

Serves 6
Created by Lester – his signature dish
Made at the cottage by Lester, of course, and by Bruce many times

Rudy’s Hot Fudge





















2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and cocoa.
2. Return to heat and slowly add evaporated milk, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Sauce will be quite thin but will set a little as it cools.

Katharine’s notes:
*You can also use 1½ cups heavy cream if you’d like instead of the evaporated milk.
*I added ¼ teaspoon salt because I think sweet things are always helped by a bit of it. There is a physiological reason for that but we don’t need to go into it here.

Makes about 2 cups
Created by Ruth and made at the cottage numerous times

If He Was Going To Lead, Wouldn't He Have Done It By Now?

All across the blogosphere and the newsmedia, people are wound up about the president's pathetic and timid budget. Here's a sample.
If a motto summed up the Obama presidency, it might be, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.” His policies are all about self-indulgence in the present, to be paid for with either long-run economic decline, or painful sacrifices by future generations.

His recent budget proposal, which contains a mix of real spending increases and mostly imaginary “cuts,” is a case in point. It pretends to cut spending and the deficit, but its “cuts” are slated to occur largely in the distant future (and thus may never happen), while its increases kick in almost immediately.
The details are here.

Spending is going up, not down.

What did you expect? When has this guy ever led?
  • The stimulus bill was left to Congress.
  • He never enumerated what he wanted out of the health care bill
  • He left the Iranian protestors to die in the streets rather than face the mullahs.
  • He left the Egyptian government to collapse rather than face the protestors.
Why is his latest budget a surprise? Stop expecting this guy to lead, have a plan, or make anything resembling a hard decision. He's just winging the whole thing, except for the speeches.

For the next two years, we're totally on our own.

Green String Farm in Petaluma, CA












Last Saturday, on a gorgeous late winter day, Katherine and I decided to take a drive to Green String Farm, a teaching farm about 17 minutes from Sonoma, whose philosophy is “to focus on aiding, rather than fighting, natural processes to grow healthy and happy fruits and vegetables.”

The program began with a short presentation by Michael Dimock, the head of Roots of Change (ROC), an organization dedicated to creating a sustainable food system in California by 2030. Dimock is an enthusiastic spokesperson for ROC, for sustainable agriculture and for the work Green String is doing to educate young people. Check out his web site. It is very impressive and his ROC e-newsletter is great as well.

Bob Cannard who owns and runs Green String Farm (and has been supplying Chez Panisse with lettuces longer than most of the farm’s interns have been alive) was up next. He immediately requested questions. What he was asked and the detailed answers he gave were way beyond my level of gardening expertise or interest. I’m probably not going to restore minerals to my backyard by grinding up volcanic rocks, for example. But his tip to hold off working my home garden until the soil has the chance to dry out was great. Working wet soil compacts it and makes it impossible for plants to grow. OK, I get that.

It was just fine to hear these two guys talking about care of the land and our food. I’m right there with them on the issues and principles. But I must say that it was the farm itself and the people who had come to visit it that truly captured by heart and gave me hope for the future:

The goats, the chickens, and some two-week-old ducks being hustled along by a young man who seemed devoted to their safety and well-being.

The beautiful vegetables and jams in the farm store and the beet floats, kim chi and jam samples being offered by the people who grew the produce and made the food.

And most of all by the number of young people and families with young kids who were there to support a new kind of agriculture and a new way to provide food for themselves and their communities, and who really wanted to understand the intricacies of sustainable farming. “Beyond sustainable,” as a sign at the entrance reads. While the older generation can provide inspiration and precious experience, it is the younger ones who will put this system to work on urban and suburban homesteads and on local farms across the country. Hurrah for them!

Spring is coming... I can see it... oh, no!


And that "Oh, no!" isn't because the colors, and the flowers and life... is because that means that the hot weather is coming back! And I almost din't used my leopard fur coat, no!


This makes me thing about why people use to wear dark colors on winter, and bright colors on summer. Since I'm back in the color-life (as I've been dressing for a long time only in black), I love to use bright colors on winter... and dark colors on summer. Yes, of course, the opposite, as always.

 

But this may change. As I saw at the last Brandery Winter Edition, at the WGNS meeting... bright colors are coming for next winter. Of course, the darks are gonna be there as always, but we're seeing a palette of nude, light blues and whites during 2011. This makes me feel happy, seems that, finally, people are loosing their "fear" about wearing colors during winter... yes!

And, talking about colors, here you've got some pictures from our second photoshoot at Cache Cache... we're seconds on the ranking, wow!

 
 
I was wearing:
Cardigan & Skirt -  Cache Cache (English Rose collection)
Tights - H&M Divided
Beret & socks - Primark
Shoes - Mustang

And yes... I'm coming back little by little... yaw!

Thanks for reading and your lovely comments!

Lemonade from Lemons, Ice Cream from Ice: A Memorable Dinner in New Orleans

The best travel days are uneventful. The worst are long, tedious, and aggravating with bad food and annoying airport announcements. The day I’m about to describe was neither of these. It was completely unexpected, outside of the usual travel assessments. And it ended, as most adventures should, in a celebratory feast.

















We woke up in Berkeley at 3:45am on Thursday February 3 with an email saying that our flight from Houston to Miami had been canceled because of a freakish ice storm descending on Houston mid-afternoon. San Francisco to Houston was fine. Not knowing what else to do, we traipsed off to the San Francisco airport only to be told that yes, it’s canceled, then no, it’s not. In Houston, we got the definitive word: yes, it’s canceled. And what’s more, the next plane to Miami is on Saturday afternoon. Unacceptable, given that Katherine’s mother and Jacoba were already in Miami awaiting us.

Katherine speedily determined that New Orleans was warmer than Houston by a few crucial degrees. If we could get there, we could fly to Florida on Friday. With Katherine at the wheel of a quickly arranged rental car, we left the airport at 1:20pm, racing to stay ahead of the storm. Which we managed to do for about five minutes. From that point on and for the next five and a half hours, I was busy (and anxiously) watching the ice build up on the windshield wipers and the side mirrors and taking full advantage of my IPhone’s technological capabilities, as I munched on tiny bags of Fritos snatched from the Continental Lounge. Comfort food. Maps supplied us with a route, mileage and the exact location of our airport hotel. Weather.com kept us apprised of current temperatures (33-35 degrees). Zagat helped locate a possible New Orleans restaurant. Phone calls to and emails from the travel agent in Berkeley who found us a hotel and a flight for the next day. And texts to my niece, Beth, who lives in New Orleans, inviting her to join us for dinner. Relieved, exhausted, bleary-eyed, and hungry we drove into our hotel parking lot in the rain just a little before 7:00pm. It was 37 degrees. The windshield wipers and mirrors had melted. We were meeting Beth for dinner at 8 at the place she’d booked, Restaurant August. We’d done it!

Restaurant August, which specializes in contemporary French food with a focus on southern Louisiana ingredients, is housed in a lovely old building right next to the French Quarter in the Central Business District. Beth and Taylor, her boyfriend whom we had never met, were waiting for us at the bar when we arrived. It became apparent that Beth who works for a wine distributor knew nearly everyone on the staff. And moreover it was clear that we all shared a fondness for good food, wine and conversation. The evening began with a bottle of bubbly. The weary travelers started to revive. As the food started to appear and Taylor started to answer our flurry of questions, we sensed that this was going to be a very special dinner, a “meant to be” kind of occasion. As the night went on, we were sure of it. Here is a sampling of what we ate.

Sabayon cream in a tiny egg shell for our amuse bouche.










Organic greens with pumpkin seed brittle which arrived in a large square, ready for me to break into bits.






Gnocchi with a blue crab sauce.







Wild boar ragout. Maybe the tastiest of them all.







Mississippi flounder in a crispy crust with various veggies.







Our pre-dessert dessert. A tiny lemon tart with fruit and a smear of pistachio paste, I think.






A mini-version of beignets, a classic New Orleans pastry, with "chocolate salad."






 Yellow cake with caramel Banana's Foster filling. Just luscious.







Goat cheese cheesecake on a bed of almonds. I can't remember the smear--and by that point in the meal it's a miracle that I remember anything.









A chocolate layered affair that had the most amazing mouth feel.









All this and I haven't even mentioned what we drank besides the bubbly.  I must confess, I don't know. Except to say that the bottle of red wine was superb and the late harvest red dessert wine made from granache or gamay was fantastic. Maybe Beth or Taylor can assist their addled auntie.

So there you are: 3:45am in Berkeley to San Francisco to Houston to surprise! New Orleans for one of the best meals I’ve ever had with three of the most delightful dinner companions I can imagine. A “meant to be” kind of occasion. My very first time in New Orleans. I think I have to go back.

Joyful Muffins

Pear/Mango/Candied Ginger and Pecan Muffins
In Japan some forty years ago, I acquired two 6-cup Joyful Muffins Pans. Check out the photo below. Don’t you love it? I smile every time I reach for them. These muffins are really nice. Even though they should be eaten on the same day they’re baked, I found that splitting them in half and toasting them in the toaster oven allowed me continue eating them for days and days. Almost all 18.

















½ cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2¼ cups unbleached flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup diced dried pears, mangoes, candied ginger or a mixture
Note: I especially like some candied ginger in the mix but then I love candied ginger.
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter or spray the tops and cups of a 12-cup muffin pan or two 6-cup pans.
Note: This recipe turned out to make 18 muffins in my smaller Joyful muffin pans (see below). So be aware that you may need another 6-cup pan unless yours are bigger than mine.
2. In a 2-cup or larger measuring pitcher, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until blended.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder together into a large bowl. Add the salt and sugars to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the dried fruits and pecans.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently combine, taking care not to over mix the batter.
5. Fill the prepared muffin tins until the batter just peeks over the top of the pan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown, firm and springy. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Unmold the muffin onto a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12-18 muffins depending on the size of your muffin pans
Adapted from The Cheese Board Collective’s The Cheese Board Collective Works

Know-Y

... has got a pretty interesting website and some great videos. Like this one.

Pond Scum anyone?


Yes.  The sass continues.
Yes.  The 14 year old.
"Shall I pour you your cup of Pond Scum, Mom?"
You should just see the wry smile.
The smirky twitch around the twinkling eyes.

Try it, son.
Maybe you will like it.

You should just see my smile.
The hitch of the eyebrow
The smack of tsk-tsk'ing waiting to quip.

He tried it.

Yes.
He liked it.
Now we each pour ourselves our morning cup
of
Pond Scum