Monthly Archives: February 2011

February 28, 2011 · 11:00 AM

Look, Ma! I Can Do Cables!

Some of you may remember that I am in the process of knitting my first sweater.  After not working on it for 7 or 8 months, I picked it up again after Christmas and have made great progress.  I have now completed the back and both sleeves.

Sweater

The Back and Both Sleeves

I’m very pleased with how this is turning out.  I really like the triangle detailing along the raglan seams.

Seam Detail

Seam Detail

The front pieces are going to be the most challenging for me so I saved them for last.  There are several elements in the fronts that I have never done before:  cables, pockets, and button holes.  I did some practicing with the cables – they are much easier than they look!

Cable Sample

Cable Sample

Here is a picture of the sweater I am making.  It is the “XO Raglan Cardigan” from the Winter 2009/2010 issue of Vogue Knitting magazine.

XO Raglan Cardigan

XO Raglan Cardigan

I’m really excited to get started on the front of my sweater!

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February 25, 2011 · 8:00 AM

Short Ribs in Red Wine and Port

Short Ribs

This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe is one I was really looking forward to:  Short Ribs in Red Wine and Port.  I love short ribs!  Well, I love any kind of meat that has braised for hours and becomes falling-off-the-bone tender.

This was a particularly good recipe for short ribs.  They spent a total of three hours in the oven, making the house smell heavenly!  They came out wonderfully tender and flavorful.

I roughly thirded (is that a word?) the recipe because there was no way my small family needed 9 pounds of short ribs.  Besides, I had the perfect size package to feed us already in the freezer, so I might as well use it.  If I could have done one thing differently, it would have been to only halve the amounts of the liquids.  I felt like I didn’t have quite enough liquid after a couple of hours of cooking.

The flavor of these short ribs was fantastic!  The star anise imparted a really unique flavor that I loved (don’t leave it out!).  The gremolata made from orange zest, garlic and parsley really rounded out the flavors and added a fresh spark, both visually and on the tongue.

One thing I loved about this recipe is that the meat and sauce are separated before serving, allowing you to remove most of the fat from the sauce.  Mine came out of the oven a couple of hours before dinner time, so I separated the meat and discarded the solids from the sauce, and then I refrigerated them, causing the fat to congeal on top of the liquid.  This made it super easy to remove the fat.

Can you tell I liked these short ribs?  I think this was my favorite FFwD recipe so far!

Looking for the recipe?  You can find it in the cookbook Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.

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February 24, 2011 · 10:01 PM

Simplicity 2603 – Cardi-Wrap Complete

After a nearly 3 year dry spell I have finally sewn something for myself!  It was a lot of fun to get sewing again, even if it did happen very slowly.  I actually completed this a couple of weeks ago, but it took me a while to get around to taking pictures.

This is the shorter cardi-wrap from Simplicity 2603.  I did the long sleeve version with the cuffs.

This was a good project to get my feet wet again.  I didn’t want to worry too much about fit and the loose front on this top is very forgiving.

Side View

The shape of the front piece is interesting, but it drapes very nicely.  It falls into place quite easily.

Front Piece

Front Piece

The fabric is a heather gray matte jersey.  It ends up looking charcoal, which I really like.  While the fabric drapes nicely (very necessary for this pattern) it is a little too heavy for this style.  I was hoping to be able to wear the top tied in front, but I won’t be able to because of the too-heavy fabric.  It just doesn’t look right:

Tied in Front

Tied in Front

I really like the cuffs on this.  They are attached about halfway between my wrist and elbow with a little fold.  It’s hard to describe, but I think this treatment is a nice detail.

Cuff

Cuff

I’m still getting used to this style on me.  It is very different than what I usually wear.  I wore it out of the house yesterday and I felt pretty good.  My hairdresser complimented me on it, so that’s a good sign!

Cardi-Wrap

A different top underneath.

All in all, a satisfying project.  The sewing bug has definitely hit me again and I have to hold myself back from planning too many projects.

See my complete pattern review here:  review.

Next up:  a sleeveless top in my new purple and black print fabric.

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February 22, 2011 · 10:47 AM

A Few Enhancements

I have made a few nice enhancements to my blog over the last couple of weeks and thought I would share them with you in case you haven’t noticed. If you are reading this in an email or blog reader, you should click over to the blog itself so you can see the changes.

First up is a “Recent Pattern Reviews” widget in my left sidebar. This will show my most recent reviews on PatternReview.com. Right now the reviews that are listed are pretty old (and unfortunately if you are not a member you will not be able to view them), but as I add new ones the items will be updated. This feature is mainly for my fellow PatternReview members who may visit my blog.

The next enhancement is a recipe index! I only have about 10 recipes at this point, but I figured it was easier to start the index now instead of when I have 100 recipes. You can find the index by looking at the menu at the top of the screen above the header. Click on the word “Recipes” to view the index. I will update the index whenever I add a new recipe.

Last but not least, I now have printable recipes!  I’m really excited about this one!  If you like the look of a recipe and want to make it, you don’t necessarily want to print out my whole blog post along with the recipe. Now you don’t have to! Under the title of a recipe you will see the text “(printable recipe)”. Click on that and you will be taken to a nice, clean-looking page where you can print it out. See my latest recipe for an example:  Chicken and Green-Bean Stir-Fry with Coconut-Curry Sauce.  Here is what the printable version looks like:  print it.  This feature is only available for a couple of my recipes right now.  All new recipes will have the printable version, and I will slowly go through my old recipes to add the printable feature.  If there is a particular recipe you’d like to print right now, let me know and I’ll get to it quickly!

Thanks for reading my blog!  What you do think of the enhancements?

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February 21, 2011 · 12:17 PM

Chicken and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Coconut-Curry Sauce

A few years ago I received the book The Best 30-Minute Recipe as a gift.  My favorite thing in this book is their “Create-Your-Own Stir-Fry” recipe.  It’s basically a formula of how much meat or other protein and how many vegetables to use, by weight.  Then there are 5 different stir-fry sauces to choose from.  So you get to build your stir-fry inspired by what ingredients you have on hand or what’s fresh in the market.  There are also a handful of “fully built” recipes using this formula and some of the sauces.  I have made this stir-fry a number of times, with different meats, veggies and sauces.

In the Wok

In the Wok

This time I was inspired by some leftover coconut milk.  The Coconut-Curry Sauce was the perfect use for it.  I immediately knew I wanted to use chicken, and green beans sounded good too. Since this was a Thai-inspired sauce, I also included red bell peppers and a little basil.  The end result was delicious!  Flavorful, but not too spicy and the veggies were cooked perfectly.

Feel free to play around with the meats and veggies with this recipe.  If you don’t like bell peppers, use something else!  One note about the coconut milk:  my coconut milk was really thick (almost like a paste).  I ended up using a half cup of coconut milk and a half cup of chicken broth and it worked out great.  If you use light coconut milk you probably won’t have this problem.

Chicken and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Coconut-Curry Sauce

(printable recipe)

Coconut-Curry Sauce:

  • 1 cup coconut milk (or ½ cup coconut milk and ½ cup chicken broth if the milk is very thick)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1-2 teaspoons red curry paste
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Stir-Fry:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 12 ounces green beans
  • 1 large red bell pepper, about a half pound
  • ½ red onion, about a quarter pound
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

1. Mix the Coconut-Curry Sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.  Toss with the soy sauce.  Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cut Veggies

Cut Veggies

3. Clean and trim the green beans.  Cut them into pieces about 1½ inches long.  Thinly slice the red bell pepper, and cut each slice in half.  Thinly slice the red onion.  Keep the vegetables separated as they will cook at different times.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  When the oil is just smoking, add the chicken.  Cook and stir until cooked through and lightly browned.  Transfer chicken to a clean bowl.  Wipe out the pan.

5. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan and return it to high heat.  Add the green beans to the pan, along with a ¼ cup of water.  Cover and steam over high heat for 2 minutes.  Remove the lid.  Add the red bell peppers and red onions to the pan.  Cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes.  Adjust the heat if the veggies are cooking too quickly or too slowly.

6.  Clear the center of the pan and add the remaining teaspoon of oil, the garlic, and the ginger.  Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Stir in the cooked chicken.  Give the Coconut-Curry Sauce a stir and add it to the pan.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the sliced basil and give everything a good stir to coat it with the sauce.  Serve with white rice.

Serves 4

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February 18, 2011 · 8:42 AM

Pancetta Green Beans

I was very excited about this week’s selection for French Fridays with Dorie. We love green beans and welcome different ways of preparing them. I decided to make them as part of a Valentine’s Day dinner. I served them along side  Chard-Stuffed Pork Roast, also from Around My French Table. Both the pork and the green beans were delicious!

The beans couldn’t have been easier to make. Start by cooking them in boiling salted water until crisp-tender. Cool in cold water and drain.  The beans can be cooked up to this point and refrigerated until ready to cook.   The pancetta is finely chopped and sauteed until crisp, then removed from the pan.  The green beans are then sauteed in some of the leftover pancetta fat until heated through. Add the pancetta and serve!

We loved this! I really enjoyed the subtle bacon taste from the pancetta. My husband liked these so much he is considering requesting them for his birthday dinner next week.

If you’d like to make these delicious green beans, you can find the recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table.

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February 16, 2011 · 1:41 PM

A Big Storm Knocked it Over

We had a big wind storm yesterday and one of our trees got blown over.  Thankfully it landed across the road and did not hit any houses, cars or people.

I am very impressed with the city.  Shortly after the tree fell they arrived to clear it off the street.  The guys from the parks department removed all the branches and put them through a chipper.  Then they cut the trunk into manageable-sized pieces and placed them neatly in our yard.  They even swept up the sawdust!  All this was completed in less than two hours after the tree fell.

Here are some pictures of what is left of our tree.  And yes, that is snow on the ground.  You can click on each picture for a bigger view.

Roots

The roots came up...

Side View

Logs

The logs left by the parks guys

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February 11, 2011 · 8:00 AM

Cooking En Papillote – A Tutorial

I did not make this week’s recipe for French Fridays with Dorie (Orange-Almond Tart) for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that we simply don’t need an extra dessert around the house.  Instead, I am doing something a little different…

A few weeks ago I made Brown-Sugar Squash and Brussels Sprouts en Papillote as part of my French Table Feast.  While the dish was super simple and delicious to make, I felt the vague instructions for making the packets were a little inadequate.  I have cooked “en papillote” using another recipe with more complete instructions, so I used those instructions this time as well.  I took pictures of the process to create this tutorial.  As usual, you can click the pictures to see a larger view.

En papillote is a method of cooking where the food is wrapped in sealed packet and placed in the oven.  The food is steamed inside the packet as it cooks.  Either parchment paper or aluminum foil can be used, although I prefer to use parchment paper.

Step 1:  Prepare your ingredients.

Prepared Squash and Brussels Sprouts

1. Prepare the ingredients

Step 2:  Cut squares of parchment paper or aluminum foil into squares at least 12″ x 12″.  Mine ended up about 15″ x 12″ because my parchment paper came in a 15″ wide roll.

Cut Squares

2. Cut squares out of parchment

Step 3:  Fold the paper in half.  If the paper isn’t quite a square, fold it perpendicular to the longer side.  In other words, after folding, my pieces measured 7.5″ x 12″.

Folded parchment

3. Fold parchment in half

Step 4:  Cut a rough heart shape out of your folded paper.

Cut Heart

4. Cut a heart shape

Step 5:  Unfold the papers and place them on a work surface.  Some recipes have you brush them with melted butter or olive oil.  Divide your ingredients among the papers, placing them to one side of the center fold.

Place Ingredients

5. Place ingredients on paper

Step 6:  Refold the paper over the ingredients.  Starting at one end of the fold, crimp along the open edge to seal the packets.  I did a couple of small folds along the edges to crimp.  Be sure to leave room around the ingredients so they can steam.

Completed Packets

6. Crimp edges to form packets

Step 7:  Bake as directed.  Open the parchments and enjoy!

Enjoy

7. Enjoy!

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February 10, 2011 · 10:44 AM

Spinach and Ricotta Two Ways

Baked Conchiglione

I hate when I waste some of a specialized product just because the recipe I bought it for does not use the whole amount.  Such was almost the case with the ricotta from this pasta dish.  Luckily I happened to be looking through one of my pizza cookbooks while holding onto this recipe and found a spinach and ricotta pizza recipe.  Perfect!

Let’s start with the pasta.  It’s made from large pasta shells stuffed with a spinach-ricotta filling and baked in tomato sauce.  It comes from the book Pasta Harvest by Janet Fletcher.  The filling is so delicious!  It has equal parts mozzarella and ricotta, making it rich and creamy, with garlic and fresh basil for flavor.  It is one of the best spinach-ricotta fillings I have ever had.

The original recipe calls for this homemade tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes.  I have made it with the homemade sauce and it is fabulous!  BUT, it is really a recipe that is best made at the peak of tomato season with garden or farmer’s market tomatoes.  In the off-season, you can use store-bought tomato sauce with good results.  This time I used a traditional Marinara sauce from Trader Joe’s.

Spinach-Ricotta Pizza

Spinach and Ricotta Pizza

The pizza came from my new favorite pizza cookbook by Diane Morgan and Tony Gemignani, simply called Pizza.  It had many of the same  ingredients as the pasta: olive oil, tomato sauce, spinach, garlic, and Parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses.  It’s a classic combination!

Baked Conchiglione with Spinach-Ricotta Filling

Click here to print.

  • ½ pound baby spinach leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • ½ pound mozzarella cheese, whole- or skim-milk, coarsely grated
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh basil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 20 jumbo pasta shells (it’s a good idea to cook a few extra in case of breakage)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1½ cups Marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Wash spinach in cold water.  Place the spinach in a 10-inch skillet with the rinse-water still clinging to the leaves.  Cover and cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the leaves are just wilted.  Transfer the spinach to a colander and rinse under cold running water to cool.  Drain well and squeeze dry.  Chop finely.

Cook pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water.  Remove and drain when they are about a minute shy of being done.  They will continue to cook in the oven.  Transfer pasta to a bowl and toss with olive oil to prevent them from sticking together.

Meanwhile, combine the spinach, garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, egg, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl, mixing well.

Put half the tomato sauce on the bottom of a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold the shells in a single layer.  Fill each pasta shell with a heaping tablespoon of the filling and arrange them in the baking dish.  You should have just enough stuffing to fill 20 shells (really!).  Spoon the remaining sauce over and around the shells and top with the Parmesan cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake until bubbling hot, 30 – 40 minutes.  COOK’S NOTE:  When I cooked mine it definitely needed the full 40 minutes.  In fact, I thought the filling wasn’t quite hot enough so I might do 50 minutes next time.

Serves 4

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February 4, 2011 · 10:15 PM

Basic Rice Pilaf

 

Rice Pilaf

This is a story about luck, quick thinking, and coincidence.  Let me start from the beginning…

One of my favorite food bloggers, Pam over at Sidewalk Shoes, loves Mark Bittman.  I had never heard of Mark Bittman before reading her blog, but I was intrigued.  When Pam recently hosted a giveaway for Bittman’s iPhone /iPad apps called “How To Cook Everything” (based on his cookbook How To Cook Everything) I jumped on it.  Guess who won the iPad app?  Lucky me!

Fast forward to Thursday night.  While I was working on the evening’s main course, I decided we needed a rice dish on the side.  The dish suggested by my cookbook was a little too involved nor did I have all the ingredients.  I wanted something quick and simple to put together, but not plain white rice.  Really, I just wanted a basic rice pilaf.  I’m sure I could have come up with something on my own, but I didn’t want to.  I wanted to be spoon-fed.  I also didn’t have time to search through my cookbooks for a suitable recipe.  What’s a semi-lazy, pressed-for-time cook to do?

Aha!  My iPad app!  Surely something called “How to Cook Everything” would have a recipe for rice pilaf.  I launched the app, did a quick search, and a minute later had the perfect recipe.

Pilaf Recipe

The recipe provides several variations.  I stuck with the main version, but I was very tempted by the “Vermicelli Pilaf” variation.  There are a couple of Mexican-themed versions that look interesting as well.

I had one beef with the recipe.  After the onions are sauteed and the rice is added, the recipe instructs you to turn the heat down to low and then add the broth.  I found that the broth was not hot enough to really cook the rice with this method.  I turned the heat up until the broth began to simmer, and then I turned it down to low.  Otherwise, great recipe and just what I was looking for!

Now for the coincidence part of this story…  This is my first Mark Bittman recipe, and the very day this story occurred, Pam was (still is) hosting a Mark Bittman blog hop over at her site!  So, I have decided to participate.  This post will be my first entry into the Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop.

Rice Pilaf

(printable recipe)

  • 2 Tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil ( I used butter)
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1½ cups long grain white rice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2½ cups stock (I used chicken broth)
  • Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Put the butter or oil in a deep skillet or pot (one with a tight-fitting lid) over medium-high heat.  When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice all at once and turn the heat down to medium.  Stir until the rice is coated with the butter or oil and starting to brown lightly, about 5 minutes.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Add the stock and bring to a simmer, stirring once or twice.  Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.

Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat (but leave the pan on the burner) and let the rice rest for another 15 to 30 minutes.  Fluff with a fork before adjusting the seasonings to taste, garnishing, and serving.

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