Papasans, Food Aversions, & Other Favorite Things

I got this papasan chair--intended for my office/writing space that I've been working on (pictures coming soon), and look what happened...it was stolen from me almost immediately and never made its way out of the living room...

But really, who can blame them??? It's the sunniest spot in the house. Put a fleece blanket in this papazan and they won't get up for at least sixteen hours....it's heaven for my cats.

My weird food aversions continue but they are getting better, I think... 

Although I am generally not eating meat, I did manage to make these crockpot chicken fajitas and I even ate one or two of them.

I used a combination of my friend H's technique and the crockpot chicken fajita recipe at A Year of Slow Cooking. I used chicken instead of beef, and I sauteed the peppers in a pan right before we were ready to eat, rather than adding the peppers to the crockpot. (I like my veggies more on the crunchy side, and I planned on leaving the crock pot on all day while we were at work.)

Fruit & Nut Plate

The result was great--tender, juicy chicken that shreds easily with a fork, and healthy, too.

Other than some Papa Murphy's pizza (mushrooms and tomatoes only) and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (only the Ultimate Cheese Explosion), I'm not eating meals...scones and fruit it is! This is funny since normally I will eat anything except coconut and olives. Some days it's difficult to come up with anything I want to eat besides scones, fruit, cheese, or nuts.

Chocolate Chip Scone

Mixed Berry Scone

In other news, I had a fun shopping trip with my friend C involving some of our favorite things: Trader Joe's, Half Price Books, Chipotle, and the DSW Shoe Warehouse.

I purchased one of my last pair of Borns about ten years ago when I lived in Madison, and I just had the cracked sole glued for $5 at a local shoe repair shop (this was the best they could do...it would be cheaper to just buy a new pair of shoes, they told me). Thus, I felt I was entitled to a new pair of PURPLE Borns. Off the clearance rack. And, since they were on clearance, I got two other pairs besides these.

Having said all this, I feel that this post is relatively superficial, showcasing the enjoyment I got out of acquiring things... But sometimes you just have to go out and have a little fun. I haven't been feeling well, and I am trying to figure out--I guess--who I am even when I can't do the things I most enjoy...eating and cooking and writing. But my energy level is increasing and my nausea is decreasing. One day at a time, right?

Taking a Break from Serious Stuff



Clean Refridgerator - Just Like New



I'm taking a mental break from the very important, serious, controversial stuff going on all around me with Governor Scott Walker's proposed budget repair bill to say that I accomplished something very important. Something long overdue. I cleaned my refridgerator. I will spare you a "before" picture -- just trust me -- this cleaning was badly needed.

Although I didn't specifically articulate this as a goal in my previous post about goals--this dirty, rotten, stinking refridgerator has been vexing me for quite some time.

Every time I opened that stinking refridgerator I was increasingly annoyed. Crumbs. Stains from old food spills. Shelves filled with expired condiments. Dirt in the produce drawers. This was utterly unacceptable!

I procrastinated on this because I was overwhelmed. Until I decided it was ok to complete this project over several weekends. This became a multi-weekend project. I tackled the expired jars of condiments and the resulting recycling avalanche on a few previous Saturdays. This past weekend I removed every shelf and drawer and piece of glass and washed every last crevice.

Then, I put all of our food back in and re-organized everything. No more half-eaten cardboard circles of frozen pizza, I told my husband. He agreed. It was dirty, and it sure looks good now.

Having done this, I'm now much more motivated to eat healthy. I can actually see and find everything we have and I feel much more in control of our food situation. I feel clean. I love feeling clean. I feel like I can accomplish another goal, should I set one.

And that reminds me...goals. I finished my KSurf writing class, three days prior to my deadline. I have a non-fiction book and a novel roughly scratched out in my head. I just can't decide which form to tell my story in. That's another post.

Also, spring is almost here...we've had a few days of 40-degree weather, and I've been out walking every day. I finished Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking" and loved it. I saw the movie Sanctum (it was ok) and made muffins. Hello goals and good bye winter funk!

Lefse: A Family Tradition

Families have their own special food traditions. Some of these traditions are captured in those famous church cookbooks (aside from having good recipes, these cookbooks reveal much about the nature of a certain time and place and the personalities of the contributors…) But how many of these traditions are simply forgotten?

Lefse, a Norwegian tortilla made from potatoes, is our family tradition. My Grandma Carrie has always made lefse for us, especially for the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Lefse, according to Linda’s Culinary Dictionary, is “to any "good" Norwegian the same as the tortilla is to the Mexican and the crepes are to the French. A Scandinavian tradition for decades, lefse is a pastry made from potatoes, flour, butter, and cream. It is widely prized as a delicious delicacy, whether served plain or with butter and sugar.”

Grandma Carrie tells me that she didn’t learn how to make lefse until after her mother passed away. She also tells me that my Grandma Tena used to make and sell her lefse. According to http://www.foodtimeline.org/, "Lefse is not yet a lost art. But it is dwindling...” I don’t want this dwindling art to be forgotten in our family. So I’ve been making lefse with Grandma Carrie. Here is Grandma’s lefse recipe and the technique for making it.

 Grandma Carrie’s Lefse

Ingredients

• 3.5 pounds of russet potatoes (In my Grandma’s words, 2/3 of a 5 pound bag of potatoes or enough to fill s small 2 QT sauce pan)
• ½ stick of butter
• ½ C condensed milk or heavy cream
• 2 T salt
• 1 T sugar
• 2 C unsifted flour

Equipment
I've included the Amazon widget here so you can see what the pastry board, corrugated rolling pin, and lefse stick look like.

• Pastry board and cloth (optional)
• Lefse stick
• Lefse grill / 'Heritage Grill' or a pancake griddle
• Corrugated wood rolling pin
• Cloth rolling pin covers
• Potato ricer (optional)
• Flour sifter

Directions
Preparing the Dough

• Peel the potatoes
• Boil the potatoes in a 2 QT sauce pan
• Rice or mash the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and chill overnight
• Using the microwave, melt the butter in the condensed milk and stir
• Add salt to the butter-milk mixture and stir
• Add sugar to the salt-butter-milk mixture and stir




The lefse dough


• Add the liquid to the potatoes and mix with your hands
• Sift the flour into the potato mixture and knead with your hands until the flour disappears. If the dough is still sticky, add a little more flour.
  
  Grandma tells me that a "natural leavening process" occurs with the potatoes, so it’s important to use your hands rather than an automatic mixer, which could over-develop the gluten and cause the dough to rise.

Rolling Out the Dough





Starts as a small round dough ball!


• Spread a thin layer of flour on the pastry board (Grandma uses a circular Bethany pastry board, which is covered in fabric to help prevent the dough from sticking)
• Fill 1/3 C with the dough to roll out
• Place the dough on the pastry board and shape it into a circle
• Lightly flour each side of the circular dough ball with the flour sifter
• Using a covered corrugated rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin, circular shape, flipping and flouring the dough as needed to prevent the dough from sticking




Rolled out lefse dough


• Continue to flip, flour, and roll until the dough is about 12 inches wide and very thin
• Transfer the lefse to the ungreased griddle using the lefse stick
• Cook the lefse on high heat on each side until it is lightly browned
• Flip the lefse as needed using the lefse stick



Flipping the lefse with the lefse stick

Let the lefse cool on wire baking racks. This recipe makes about 14 pieces of lefse.

To prepare, spread the lefse with butter and/or sugar and roll it up and serve. Some even use the lefse as a bread, serving sandwich fixings or meats rolled up inside the lefse.



The final product: about 14 pieces of lefse

The Italian Gourmet

On October 23rd we had an Italian cooking class with Antonio Cecconi, owner of The Italian Gourmet and author of the Betty Crocker Italian cookbook.

Coordinating this event was a challenging and sometimes frustrating process…we needed to set a date, send out invites, recruit a minimum number of people, gather money, finalize the menu, secure a kitchen in the Minneapolis area, and finalize travel and lodging plans and more. With all the travel and lodging and the fact that we wanted it to be a gift to our friend C, who got married the following weekend, it got to be a bit expensive but IT WAS SO WORTH IT….


My heart sank when Antonio did not show up on time, but fear not, he was only momentarily trapped in the traffic jam surrounding the presidential motorcade that weekend in the Minneapolis area.

When Antonio arrived, we were immediately mesmerized by his warm and friendly personality. In between teaching us how to make our Italian meal (see menu below), he gave us a lesson about capers, showed us pictures from his recent trip to Italy, and graciously answered some rather personal questions from one of us (not me) who had a few too many glasses of wine! AND he signed my Betty Crocker Italian cookbook! He is a fabulous chef and teacher and was a pleasure to work with before and during the class.

As soon as we began making that pasta, mixing the semolina flour with water, kneading the dough into small round yellow balls, and flattening the dough into long thin yellow sheets using the hand-crank pasta machines, I literally felt all the challenges and tensions melt away and everyone was laughing and getting their hands dirty. I hope you can see in the pictures how everyone enjoyed the class.

Our menu:

• Basil Cheese Truffles & Spices

• Crusty Bread with Tomato Basil Topping

• Homemade Lasagna with Asparagus and Tomato Sauce

• Fresh Pasta with Creamy Four Cheese Sauce

• Pork Tenderloin with Lemon Prosciutto Sage Sauce

• Sautéed Field Fennel Salad with Fresh Herb Dressing

• Seasoned Homemade Buns

• Cream Puffs with Amaretto Chocolate Sauce

All of the recipes are in Antonio's cookbook.

Once again I was reminded how therapeutic cooking and good company can be. For those four hours, I was completely in the present moment, totally focused on the task at hand and on taking in every detail and savoring every wonderful taste. I feel so privileged to be able to do things that are so uplifting.

Portland Farmer's Market and a Delicious Dinner

Today, my last day in Portland, we visited the Portland farmer's market, got a gourmet sandwich from a food cart downtown called PBJ's, and then came home and made a wonderful dinner (see the following pictures) consisting of homemade bruschetta, pesto, pasta, and more. I was so lazy after all of this that I didn't even want to blog but S bribed with me a bowl of chocolate ice cream topped with a delicious mixture of Farmer's market berries, peaches, and mango. I know, I know. I've been gluttonous all week. But I love experiencing the unique flavors of new places. The last three days have been full of delicious surprises.

It was interesting to see how the Portland farmer's market differs from the ones I'm used to back in the Midwest. I've never been able to buy a fresh, locally grown artichoke, nor have I seen such abundant peaches, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Our peaches come from Michigan and Georgia!

Farmer's market fruit bento

Grilled artichokes

Grilled tomato bruschetta

Oregonian sandwich from PBJ's food cart downtown Portland:
Challah bread, Marion berry jam, Rogue Creamery blue cheese, Oregon hazelnut butter

More pictures are in the following album:

Portland 2010 Final Day

Thanks to S and L for a wonderful visit! I will see you both again soon. Thanks for always making me feel so welcome and allowing me to experience your world so completely. S is making a big decision about something and I will be thinking of her often. S, sometimes you can't reach decisions through facts or logic or what looks good on paper. Sometimes you just have to do what FEELS right and natural and normal and good. I'm there for you.

My hosts, S and L

Hobbes, the bengal (one of their three
beautiful kitties)

Harvest!

My harvest season has begun! I'm trying to get as much done as possible before I leave for vacation next week...

This weekend, I canned about seven pints of corn relish (on the left in the picture below) and about 19 half-pints of tomatillo salsa (on the right). For some reason, my tomatillo salsa is more brown than green this year. I wonder if it's because I used purple onions? These recipes are from the PDF SALSA RECIPES FOR CANNING by Val Hillers and Richard Dougherty. I used all locally grown produce that I got at our farmer's markets. The tomatillos came from my own garden...

I bought a meal kit from a farmer's market vendor that included the following purple heirloom tomatoes (sorry, I cannot remember the entire name), swiss chard (left), and several types of summer squash (not pictured). I sauteed these vegetables into a delicious sauce that we put on a pizza crust with other pizza fixings and then put it on the grill. It was delicious.

In the background you can see tomatoes, which came from my garden. I'm gearing up this week to can a tomato-peach relish. This tomato-peach relish is from the Preserving Peaches document located at the Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center.

Before the season is done, I hope to can more salsa (tomatillo and regular tomato), plus some seasoned tomato sauce.

We have had an extremely humid and wet summer...and I'm looking forward to fall...wearing sweatshirts and jeans, watching football, making delicious soups from my frozen/canned tomatoes, and enjoying my jellies and salsas.

Homemade Pizza, Wheatberry Salad, and Jam

One reason I love summer so much is the abundance of fresh, home-grown ingredients available for cooking. Here are a few recipes for things I've made recently.

Bread maker Pizza Crust

I got this recipe from my sister when we visited her in Rochester, and she got it from a co-worker. It's funny how good recipes make their way around...

¾ C warm water from faucet
1 T oil
1T sugar
1 T dried milk
½ t salt
2 ¼ C bread flour
1 t dried yeast

Use the dough cycle in your bread maker (mine took about an hour and 24 minutes).

I added fresh pesto, spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, cherry tomatoes, and sweet pepper.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until crust is brown.

Wheat Berry-Black Bean-Edamame Salad

My mom found this recipe in a magazine and she thought it was delicious.

Serves 6 (3/4 cup servings)

4 C water
½ C dry wheat berries
½ of a 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
1 C chopped tomato
½ C chopped red onion
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine water and wheat berries in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 55 minutes or until wheat berries are tender. Place in a fine mesh strainer, run under cold water to cool quickly, drain. Combine the wheat berries with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours in advance.




Jam

The harvest season has begun! I used the following recipes to make about 20 jars of jam. These recipes are from Aunt Dee's Caldwell Family Cookbook, which was given to us when we visited Colorado for a family reunion.

Rhubarb Jam

4 cups finely cut rhubarb 4 cups sugar
1 package Strawberry-flavored Jello

Mix sugar with washed rhubarb in a bowl and let stand overnight. Put in a heavy kettle and cook until rhubarb is tender (about 10 minutes). At this point I like to add about 2 cups of fresh berries. I’ve even substituted raspberries for the strawberries and used Raspberry-flavored Jello in place of the Strawberry Jello. Add flavored Jello; stir until mixed and Jello is dissolved. Pour into hot sterilized jelly glasses or jars. Seal with covers or pour hot paraffin over top of hot jam.

AMISH RHUBARB JELLY
5 cups cut-up rhubarb 1 cup crushed pineapple (canned)
4 cups sugar 3 oz pkg Jello (Raspberry, Strawberry or Orange)
Stir together first three ingredients. Put on heat and stir till all juicy. Boil 15 minutes. Add Jello and mix in. Seal in jelly jars with paraffin. Refrigerate if desired.

Greek Cooking Class

This was one of the funnest things I've ever done! I'm looking forward to attending another cooking class next week, this time about making crepes.

Three Sauces in One Outcome

It was ambitious but last week I did complete Janet Chadwick's 3-in-1 canning project I described in a previous post (and managed to be in bed by 10:30 pm every night). Above you see (left to right) seven half-pint jars of chutney, seven pints of sweet and sour sauce....

and below, seven pints of Indian BBQ relish...

It took me several days to prepare...one night to prepare the peaches and another to prepare the tomato puree. But it was worth it.

The entire process quieted my mind and relaxed me during a stressful week with school finally back in session.

I can't wait to crack open these sauces to serve with different dishes throughout the fall and winter.