Smitten for these recipes

If you haven't already figured it out for yourself, the Smitten Kitchen cookbook is really wonderful. Not only are the recipes delicious, but so are the stories, instructions and photos. I have several cookbooks, and I am always drawn to the ones that have a photo for every recipe.  Sadly, the photos in this post are all iphone photos because I am not a food blogger, and it does not occur to me to take good photos of food. But rest assured, the photos in the book are much, much better, and are right on par with the quality of the recipes.

Eggplant & 3-Cheese Calzone

In addition to the few recipes I tried out right after Christmas, I've tested 6 more in the last couple of months, and all of them were awesome.

• Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns
• Almond Date Breakfast Bars
• Eggplant and 3-Cheese Calzone
• Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean Tacos
• Sesame-spiced Turkey Meatballs
• Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Lemon Glaze

 
The only one that I probably wouldn't make again was the Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns. While tasty (when isn't bread and melted cheese?), they were extremely time-consuming. Also, the last step was to coat the tops in melted butter and I just couldn't do it (I have an aversion to melted butter). Sadly, it's really necessary to making them look appetizing, so I was a little put off by their pasty appearance. In reality, I'd probably just make myself a grilled cheese sandwich next time.


The Eggplant and 3-Cheese Calzone was one of the best! Since I was sick the night we had this, Mike actually made it while I assisted (read the recipe and handed him the tools). It was really flavorful and tasty and not at all difficult (and was the first time I've ever made anything with eggplant). Since we were running late we ended up using store-bought pizza dough, which was the only down-side.
 

Unknown Orange Squash

We made the Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean Tacos in January at my dad's house because they don't eat a lot of meat. Another quick and easy dish. We didn't actually use spaghetti squash since we didn't have any, but I don't think it really matters (and to make it really simple - we just used canned black beans). We paired it with the Cabbage / Cucumber Slaw from the book, which I've now made 3-4 times.

Squash Tacos, with Feta, Avocado and the Cabbage/Cucumber Slaw

The Almond Date Breakfast Bars were delicious. My sister Sara made them first and gave me a good tip about buying the pre-diced date pieces. It saves a lot of work as cutting sticky dates is not fun. They have also been a great addition to the granola I make. I didn't have any almond butter on hand so I substituted peanut butter. The only thing I noticed is that they were a little crumbly. Next time I'll do the second "chilling" in the fridge that Deb recommends. I ended up throwing these in a cup with some plain yogurt and eating it at my desk for breakfast. It traveled well and paired perfectly with the yogurt.

The Sesame-spiced Turkey Meatballs are probably my favorite recipe in the book so far. At least, I've made them the most. They are so easy, and incredibly light and flavorful. We just pair them with hummus, pita, feta and chopped cucumber. Sara made them with the recommended Smashed Chickpea salad, which she said was delicious. Her only complaint on the salad was that the recipe didn't make enough, so her suggestion is to double it.

Lastly, the Olive Oil Ricotta cake... so lovely. It's a really simple cake, but as Deb says, it's really flexible. The recipe includes instructions for a Grape Coulis, but I don't tend to keep Concord Grapes on hand, so I went with her "cooking note" alternative: the lemon glaze.
This cake will be made again.

Forest Animals (A non-mobile mobile)

More baby presents! When you're in your thirties it's pretty much non-stop baby season.

Next month my friends Megan & Trevor will become parents for the first time to a baby boy. I first thought that I'd make them a mobile, but I wanted to do a forest theme and I had already created that in a mobile in various ways (Forest Friends, Festive Forest, Mushroom Mobile), so I decided to interpret it as a wall hanging instead. 

This approach allowed me to be creative and not feel like I was making the same thing twice.
Most of the piece is handsewn flat felt, stuffed with wool for a little dimension. The animal tails, bird eggs and owl body are needle-felted directly to the blue felt background. The whole piece is framed in a purchased bamboo frame without the glass.

You can see that I adapted my raccoon pattern to be a bit more two-dimensional.

In general this piece came out how I imagined, though I thought I'd get more animals into the scene. Alas, I ran out of time. So while I think it's generally well-composed, it does feel a bit "empty" to me. On the plus side, it is for a baby, so I think he'll enjoy looking at the shapes and colors regardless.

I gifted this to Megan at her baby shower last week, and the invite requested that in lieu of cards the guests bring children's books. So I paired this with the book Forest Bright, Forest Night.

Little Sister

Earlier this month in the midst of an East Coast blizzard, my friend Kristin gave birth to her second, beautiful daughter. I imagine that they have spent this last month hunkered down at home, staying warm and getting to know each other as a family of four.

I wanted to welcome baby Harper with a tiny Flutter Sweater. This is the same pattern that I used for my niece Freya's sweater, but much tinier. It's made from a finger weight yarn from Turkey (Ice Yarns) gifted from my mother. I'm really pleased with how the variegated yarn resulted in such nice striping. It's very soft and lightweight - hopefully Harper looks good in earth tones!

I added a little pair of crocheted socks to the package as well - just like the ones I made for my niece, Elle, but again with a lighter weight yarn. These still have a little stretch to them, so I hope they'll fit Harper in the next couple of months.

For Annie, Harper's big sister, I included the book BIG SISTER and LITTLE SISTER.

This book was written by Charlotte Zolotow in 1966, and my big sister Susanna received a copy of it in 1979 when I was born, from our cousins, also a big sister and little sister duo!

It tells a story of how difficult life can be for the big sister who has to look out for little sister, and how trying it can be for a little sister always being looked after! 

As both a big sister and a little sister, I can really relate to the story. In the end of the book, the sisters learn how to take care of each other - and realize how much better off they are for it. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have sisters for my best friends, and I hope that Annie & Harper will be similarly blessed.

Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

I managed to score some pretty cool gifts for Christmas too. One of which was the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman. Since I was down with the flu over the holidays and not really up for eating, let alone cooking, I only managed to peruse the book. As luck would have it, my sister Sara also got the cookbook and was very much up for cooking. So as I stood by offering my "assistance" (read: encouragement), she made the Chocolate Chip Brioche Pretzels and the Gingerbread Spice Dutch Baby. The pretzels were delicious, though as a regular maker of soft pretzels, I would say that maybe they weren't quite worth the effort. I definitely wouldn't be adverse to eating them again, but I think we were both a tad let down that they weren't more amazing. Then again, I'm not a big fan of chocolate chips or brioche, so maybe the letdown was in my own expectations. The Gingerbread Spice Dutch Baby was fantastic and well worth making, however - hard to go wrong with eggs, butter and ginger.

After I left for home Sara also made the Pancetta, White Bean & Swiss Chard Pot Pies and Butternut Squash and Carmelized Onion Galette (you can see a photo of it front and center on the above book cover). I was sad to have missed those, but luckily by that point I was feeling better and up for digging into the cookbook myself.

I started with the Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers & Dill because I love cabbage and anything pickled. It's appropriate that "Vinegar" is the first word in the title - it's a strong component! I made the salad for an after-work dinner with friends, so I actually made it the night before our scheduled dinner so that it would be done in time. As a result the salad sat in the dressing for about 20 hours. I paired it with some wet burritos, so the vinegar sharpness of the salad was a nice counterpoint to the richness of  the main dish. My friend said it was "very bright". The downside is that cukes will pickle quickly, and after 20 hours they were a little too bright. Next time I'll add the cucumbers later so that they only soak for a couple of hours. The cabbage held up really well, and we ate the leftovers over the following weekend.

The latest recipe I've tried is the Balsamic and Beer-braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Puree. Not an extremely appetizing photo (above), but it tasted delicious. Because the process for this dish takes place over several hours, getting the timing right is important. I managed to go wrong in a few places because I was rushing, or making assumptions based on other recipes. I misread the amount of tomato paste needed and threw in the whole can instead the required 2 Tbsp. I substituted garlic for the horseradish. And, I quickly dumped the boiled parsnips into a colander and then into the food processor and didn't ensure that all the water had properly drained off. As a result too much water got into the puree and it was a bit on the runny side. I did include the recommended amount of butter and cream, but next time I'll lessen the cream a little. This is a personal preference because I have an aversion to creamy things. My husband, however,  does not, and he thought it was just perfect. There were a couple of optional steps in the recipe which included finishing off the braised ribs in the oven and creating a brown sauce to go with them. I opted in for both of those steps and I think it was well worth it. The meat isn't flavorful enough to carry both itself and the parsnips, so the sauce really ties the two together.

Despite my mistakes the recipe managed to turn out really well, and I will definitely make this again - perhaps for Remi and Andrew to thank them for giving me such an awesome cookbook!

Setting myself up for a busy winter

For my birthday last month I got lots of sewing related gifts. In addition to gift certificates for fabric, I also got three new books. The first, from Mom, is the Stylish Dress Book:

I have two other Japanese sewing books, that I've used with moderate success. As I've mentioned before, I don't really have the same body type as these pattern models. That said, I think this book has a lot of potential, and with a few modifications I'm really excited about several patterns.

Particularly the shirt above. It's very similar to the Wiksten Tova, and it looks incredibly comfy. I think this would be a nice layering piece this winter.

I think this black dress has some potential too. I like almost everything about it, except for the fabric. I'm not really a satin person.

 The two dresses above are very similar (though they are each considered to be 1 of the 26 available patterns). I don't like these in their entirety, but I think if I omitted the sleeves on the right one and maybe used a solid for the left one, that I could end up liking these dresses a lot.

Using a gift certificate from my Pa, I bought Sew U Home Stretch by Built By Wendy.
Why do I need this book?

Because Mike got me a serger!

I wear a great deal of knit clothes, and I'm so ready to be able to make my own. Susanna even started me off with some serger thread in my favorite colors.

I'm most excited about being able to make myself a raglan-sleeved baseball shirt.

But I have had a boatneck striped shirt on my list for a long, long time.

And I love the idea of making my own sweatshirts. Mike has already put in a request for a few zip up hoodies.

 

A zip up terry-cloth robe would be handy for the hot tub.

And this is strikingly similar to a dress I have in gray right now. I wouldn't mind a purple one...

Sara sent me this sweet sewing book. I was surprised that she didn't bookmark a few pages with requests for her soon-to-arrive-any-day-now baby!

 I can easily imagine my niece Freya in this get-up. We call her the little wood fairy.

Who can I make this for? Because I want to make this.

 These don't really need a pattern, but they are very cute. I might just make these for my shelf.

I don't know any kids who will keep a hat on, but if I come across one, they are surely going to get a bucket hat.

Mom also got me this fun Simplicity Pattern. It reminds me of the fruit & veggies that I made for Lilly last year. These can be made on the sewing machine though, so I think they would be faster to whip up than the handsewn ones. I think the cupcakes would be fun because I could probably spend hours coming up with different decoration options. Or perhaps I could make all the decorations with velcro on them; ensuring hours of decorating fun!

 

Last, but certainly not least, Mom got me this DVD on soldering jewelry. She thought this would be a good next step to the soldering class that Susanna and I took last Spring and I couldn't agree more. I'm saving it for a nice winter craft break.

Wrap Shirt

After tackling clothes to sleep in (low risk - very few people see them) I have moved on to sewing  clothes to wear in the light of day!

To begin, I chose a pattern from Simple Modern Sewing. This book is full of simple Japanese designs; intended to be loose fitting, perhaps a bit on the boxy side (ie, not really designed for hips or bust). I chose the wrap shirt pattern shown on the cover because it wasn't too complex (no buttons, zippers, or real sleeves), and it I felt it could be tailored to fit my curvy shape.

I also chose it because they included this outfit suggestion in the book, and the entire outfit was definitely something I'd wear (though I haven't worn distressed jeans since the 90's, and I'm much more inclined to wear boots instead of loafers, I still liked the overall look).

Only problem is that finding the wool gauze they suggested is very difficult. I finally settled on cotton gauze from Dharma Trading company. At $6.65 a yard, it's cheap and dyeable, which means I can make my shirt any color.

The hardest part of this project was actually creating the pattern pieces. Unlike the paper patterns in One-Yard Wonders, which uses different colors/line weights to differentiate the overlapped pattern pieces, this book uses the exact same line color and weight for the overlapped pieces!

 

It was like figuring out a puzzle to determine which lines I had to trace and I had to keep referencing back to the book to memorize the outline. I found the only way to keep my relative sanity was to outline my lines with a highlighter pen. I then used freezer paper to trace over those highlighted lines. Ultimately I made some mistakes, but luckily I caught them before it was too late.

Here it is, in all it's white glory! I still need to dye this, but since summer is coming (maybe?) I may leave it white for awhile and dye it in the fall.


I so enjoyed the accomplishment of sewing this shirt that I actually decided to do it again.
I  purchased some lightweight fabric from Bolt to create a second version. In this version I lengthened the peplum skirt a little, and added cap sleeves in place of the french sleeves. I also added a "tag" to the shirt. Not really necessary on this (it's pretty clear which is the front and which is the back) but it does seem to look a little more finished. And I like the pop of the orange against the green when it's hanging up.

The sleeves turned out to be the most tedious part, and they are a little tight (hard to lift my arms up all the way). For future plans I'd keep the rest of the pattern at the same size (XS) but use bigger sleeves.

That said, these patterns tend to run very loose (I'm not usually XS). Since I like my clothes a little more fitted, I went down in size. XS may have been a little tight, so if I choose to make a 3rd one, I'll try the S size.


I think I'm done with this pattern now - time to move on to something new.

Bakin' Bread

Bakin' bread has been a goal of mine for quite some time. With the help of my Pa, and the practice of our cob pizza oven, I have gotten quite comfortable with the making & baking of pizza dough, but bread was a little more daunting. For Christmas I asked for a copy of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and dubious though he was, Papa obliged. Since then I have been baking on a weekly basis, and there hasn't been a fail yet.

I've mainly stuck to the Master Recipe of Boule (free-form loaf), but I've played around with the flours (all-purpose, bread flour and wheat flour). I usually form the loaves into ovals or circles, but I have played around with making small rolls, and even once tried the Pain d'Epi (wheat stalk bread), but my "wheat stalk" pattern was not photo-worthy (it's harder to make than it looks).

The idea behind making bread in 5 minutes a day is that you make a master batch of dough and it sits in your fridge for up to 14 days. One can periodically cut off 1 lb portions and bake it up throughout the 2-week period. This works well for us because a 1 lb loaf is not very big, and in our 2-person household I've thrown out a lot of stale or moldy bread because we don't eat it fast enough. We generally manage to get through these small loaves before they go bad.

In order to make this work there are a few "tools" that make the process easier:

A 6-quart plastic (food-grade) tub with a lid (not air-tight) is very handy. I use this container to mix the dough and store it in the fridge. I bought two of these Cambro tubs at Amazon for $17. I use one for dough and the other houses my flour.

 

While not crucial, a pizza peel is very handy for transferring the dough into the oven. I let the dough rise on my peel for 40 minutes then slide it directly into the oven. The finely ground cornmeal you see below also helps in sliding the dough smoothly. This is a trick Pa taught me in transferring pizzas into the cob oven and it's saved a lot of pizza toppings from sliding off the dough and hitting the oven floor.

A baking stone and broiler pan are also important to achieving that perfect crust. The broiler pan contains a cup of water and turns that hot oven into a little steam room, and the baking stone helps to evenly distribute the heat.

While it certainly takes more than 5 minutes, it does take relatively little time to bake this bread, and it truly does seem to turn out fine every time.  The other great thing about this book is that in addition to all the bread recipes (including cinnamon rolls, bialys, bagels, pretzels, pizza, etc) there are recipes for dishes to accompany the bread.  For instance, there are pizza topping ideas for the pizza dough, kebab and fattoush recipes for the pita and even a recipe for preserves to go with the chocolate bread. While I haven't tried any of these extra recipes yet, their mere presence makes me quite excited for the possibilities.