A LOT OF THIS AND A LOT OF THAT

I know no one out there is waiting with bated breath for my latest post, still, I just wanted to say, like everyone else, I AM BUSY, busy, busy. 

Oh, how I welcome the new snowfall that not only blankets the world with purity, but also brings a stark beauty that is difficult to ignore.  

It has made for evenings of comfort food....

'Jumbata' ...at least that is what my Aunt Bertha used to call a dish that was a jumble of many things.  This is one of our favorite winter meals:  onions, garlic mild Italian sausage sauteed in olive oil and then potatoes and sweet red peppers added to the pot.  The mingling of these flavors is astonishing, served with crusty freshly baked bread....

...and Gypsy soup...adapted from the Moosewood cookbook....spicy and delicious.  Sweet potatoes, red peppers, onions, celery, garlic, chickpeas, paprika, tamari sauce, basil, tarragon....makes for an unusual though extremely wonderful dish...served over basmati rice.

...and then Christmas preparation...the little girls

...painting cards for mama and papa...

helping Nonna make the traditional holiday tea rings

I think I've made about 12 of these, and I use them for gifts to important people in my life, like the mailwoman, the librarian, my masseuse, etc.

And a kind of last minute request for another life sized baby doll.  About three years ago I made one for Iris, and Elsa wondered why she did not have a 'realistic' (her word) doll.  Given a few days until Christmas, I tackled this project...

pattern pieces

(most of this is done by hand, with very little machine sewing)

legs before stuffing with wool roving

The head, pictured here, is actually formed underneath the 'skin layer', shaped by placing heavy duty string in strategic places and pulling thightly

the hair being made

the hair applied...

...and the doll assembled, donning a newly made diaper.  

Not only is this doll actually life-sized, but the arms and legs are movable, too.

Prior to starting this doll, I had embarked on knitting a sweater for the girls with yarn from their sheep, dyed a burgundy

 

one done (by the way this is pretty accurate as to color) button still to be added....

and the other nearly complete

(actually as of now, it is complete and being blocked)

And the need for more cookies presented itself, so here

peppermint candy cookies, made with broken pieces of candy cane.

Am I ready, well not quite.  But I think I am finally catching the holiday spirit.  May you all have a blessed and merry Christmas!!

INSPIRATION

I have been cooking/baking for many years, and still, I am filled with delight each day as I contemplate what I have in the larder and what I can prepare for the evening meal.  I must say that I have been influenced by my father, who was an artist as a cook, and now I am being inspired by another artist chef, Luke Zham, owner and chef at the Driftless Cafe in downtown Viroqua, WI.  You can read the menu here,  http://driftlesscafe.com/.  Reading his daily menu, for me, is like reading a really great book, always looking forward to the next chapter.  I love that he is dedicated to buying local/organic, and the way that he includes the local farm's name in his menu descriptions.  Anyway, Luke has a way of presenting his creations in a 'single' manner....not potatoes here, vegetable, here, etc., but in one grand presentation.  I have been inspired to do the same on several occasions.

My home grown, frozen french green beans, seared with garlic in olive oil....

first fast roasting cashews in a cast iron pan, making a sauce with them, (soy sauce, vinegar and garlic), then sauteing organic bok Choi in peanut oil...

...a homemade semolina flour gnocchi...

and then the layering, first the gnocchi, then the bok choi drizzled with plenty of cashew sauce, and finally topped with the seared green beans.  This meal was absolutely delicious!!!!

I find it a wonderful thing in my life to be inspired by a young chef who has, perhaps, been cooking less than a quarter of the years that I have been cooking.  My father would have loved dining at the Driftless Cafe, as do I.  For me, without a doubt, the best restaurant in the mid-west!!!!!

A TRULY HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Last Christmas my sister Barbara (who lives just outside of NYC) sent me a photo of all of her grandchildren.  I was thrilled to see these kids, but saddened as well, as I had never met most of them.  It was within this sad state an idea was born.  At first I thought to rent a 'lodge' of some sort between all my family out East and those few of us here in the Midwest.  After giving that thought, it seemed like a daunting task to coordinate all of those people, especially since most of them lived in the East, with my sister's children mostly close by her place.  Perhaps Thanksgiving would work, although it was months away.  Letters sent off to everyone, and everyone terribly excited.  (I did check with Barb first, as it would seem she'd bear the brunt of this, and despite my suggesting we get a lodge of some sort out there she wanted to host the event.  Luckily she has a beautiful, huge three story Victorian which housed many of us.)

The event came to be:

My siblings, brother Vic (Butch), sister Jackie and sister Barb.

All of our children, Jonel, my daughter, Nicole, my brother's child, John, Colleen, Liz, Barb's children, Lisa, Gina, Jackie's
 children, and Annie, also Barb's.)

...and all of their children...

Children are phenomenal and bonded pretty quickly, and despite the huge age disparity, they all 'played' together.  It was at times raucous, but pretty much never a problem in such a huge home.

Elsa looking over the couch...it took her the longest to feel comfortable, but when it happened she went 150%.

Elsa, Iris, Gabriell, Nicolas....

Jonel and Lisa and Liz...such a family resemblance!!  (This shot is taken from the Great Room, looking into the kitchen.)

The girl cousins!

About two weeks before leaving, I sent a package out East containing the makings for homemade pizza...jars of home canned roasted pizza sauce, a jar of sour dough starter, cheeses, etc.  So on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, I made pizza for about 35 people, which worked out to 10-12 pizzas.  It kind of felt like a pizza factory, but it was such fun, and I had lots of help.

My sweet niece Annie and I on Thanksgiving day...with lots of people around us.

...the children's table...(How they loved having their own table in another room with nary an adult around!)

One of three tables (all set up in the great room) of adults.  
A sit down meal for 45, unbelievable!

I simply cannot put into words the wonder of reconnecting with my family.  Seeing and being with my siblings was truly special, seeing and meeting the great nieces and nephews was such a highlight, but I must say, for me, being with my nieces and nephews again, was the icing on the cake.  I so enjoyed all of my time with them, crying, talking, laughing, hugging, and hugging and hugging.  I can honestly say this was the very best Thanksgiving of my entire life.  I am so grateful to everyone for taking the time and the expense to make this event happen.  None of us will ever forget this special Thanksgiving.

I am so grateful to my family...this wonderful extended family!!

(And supremely grateful to Barb and her husband Mike for hosting this 'crazy' family event!!)

CHRISTMAS PROJECT

Robin and Primrose, Iris and Elsa's black and white sheep, were shorn again this last spring.  Once again we took the uncleaned wool to be processed.  We took it to a new place this year, and although the processing was excellent, all the end products smelled faintly of cigarette smoke and some sweet something to cover it with.  Lots of washing and hanging out through a few rains finally rid it of the smell.

We had the wool processed into both a 3ply and a 2ply yarn.  We opted for no natural 'white' this year, but a light heather gray and a dark heather gray.

This is the dark heather gray, lovely in and of itself.  In as much as I had already knit sweaters for the girls in gray, we decided that I would dye this yarn a red color....

The color in this photo isn't really true, the yarn is actually more a combination of this and what is below...

this is a more accurate depiction...I have the hanks on an 'umbrella swift' and am turning it into...

(this is nearly the accurate color)

yarn balls, which will have a central pull yarn that I can knit directly from...

I have the equivalent of 8 hanks of yarn, enough to make two sweaters...
below is the pattern that Jonel wanted for the girls.  I hope to have them complete by Christmas. 


 If you click anywhere on the following link, the web address will appear and you can see the link.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/springtime-in-hollis

BEAUTY AND SURPRISES

It was early November, when I first came into the Kickapoo Valley...everything brown and dreary.  Still I recall the vivid beauty of this area, I remember how despite the monochromatic colors, it was stunning.

Yesterday Freddie and I hiked our property and were confronted with beauty unending.  

A small oak tree dazzles with huge orange colored leaves...

We came upon another oak whose trunk (beautiful in its own right) was almost nothing, in no spot was it any thicker than about 2", and yet...

its upper story was filled with leaves...I found it unbelievable that it could still be alive...what a strong urge nature provides.

On one part of our 207 acre property is a lovely pinery...

...I am glad I randomly choose this bright colored hat for this hiking trip, as unbeknown to us

well camouflaged hunters were staked out on our property...

...and this morning!!!!

the first gentle, lovely snowfall...

that will stick around for at least a couple of hours.

Not that I am so ready for winter, but then again, perhaps I am.  

THE GLORY OF LEFTOVERS

Frosty mornings, cool, crisp air...a certain call for comfort foods to round out the day.  Tuesday morning began this way longing for something warm and comforting for the evening meal.  I let my thoughts meander around the pantry and fridge for several hours until it finally came to me...risotto!  Despite being an Italian dish, I never grew up eating risotto, but have come to love its creamy, aromatic, richness.

For supper, carnival squash risotto, begun with onions, garlic, with the last liquid absorbed being a good white wine.  It was delicious served with braised kale.  Now what to do with the leftovers:

...again the mind's journey took several twists and turns before settling on...

risotto/kale layered with phyllo dough and plenty of melted butter...

served with a fresh spinach salad liberally sprinkled with cut up apples, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Another night of warm, comforting food, which tasted just a bit elegant.  Served with a good glass of white wine (14 Hands Chardonnay) and warm crusty bread...oh, we eat so well!

STILL GARDEN FRESH

It is clearly November with its cool, dreary, misty days.  Some things still remain, at least for a short time, in the garden, namely kale, leeks and carrots.  Having some freshly dug leeks and carrots in the house, they kept dancing here and there in my mind, searching for just the right way to combine them...and I think I found it.

I decided to caramelize the leeks.  I cleaned them thoroughly, cut off the green tops, and thinly sliced them lengthwise.  Melt butter in a pan until bubbly, add leeks on low heat, and saute for about 30-45 minutes, adding a bit more butter if it gets dry.

In the meantime, gently steam cleaned and sliced carrots with about a tsp. of fresh thyme, until just able to pierce with a fork.  Add good white wine to the leeks and let slowly evaporate, then add the drained carrots and saute.  Add the reserved carrot water if they get dry.  

...sprinkle parsley over top just before serving...

Earlier in the day saute onions in olive oil, when onions are soft and yellowish, add plenty of cut up garlic and saute briefly, add lots of fresh, clean, kale, stems removed and cut into smallish pieces.  Saute until desired doneness.  Meanwhile cook potatoes in a small amount of salted water until done.  Mash with a bit of milk, salt/pepper and mix with the kale.

Spread in a buttered casserole dish, dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.

One of my very favorite meals that I recall with vivid culinary delight is chicken cutlets.  They are as delicious today, if not more so, than when I was a child.  Take organic boneless chicken breasts put between layers of waxed paper and pound until thin.  In  one shallow dish have one egg (a little water added) slightly beaten, and in another shallow dish place a good amount of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs.  Dip the now thin chicken into the egg (both sides) and then dredge in the breadcrumbs (both sides), and refrigerate for about 1 hour.  About 20 minutes before serving, heat canola oil in a large frying pan, when hot add the chicken, fry until nicely browned and turn and brown the other side.  Chicken should cook in about 15 minutes or less, check for doneness by slicing into the thickest part, if it is fully white, it is done.

Served with warm crusty bread, this meal simply can't be beat.

It is such a pleasure in so many ways to prepare food straight from the garden!  I remain grateful to this earth and all it provides and for the ability to prepare and serve it.  As the growing season reaches its culmination, I regret the absence of fresh vegetables (especially tomatoes, of which I have not had my fill) but also know that my larder is full!  Honestly, when preparing/serving a meal like this, I feel a fullness of heart and know that all things are intertwined.  I can only hope that my grandmother Gennuso,  my mother and my father, from whom I learned the love and respect of gardening and food, wherever they may be, know I honor them and the earth, too.