Parenting 101, 102, 103...

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FlatBreadPizza

Today was one of those days, when you wished Dr. Spock or some other fantastic parenting expert was living with you. I would even take one of those futuristic glasses with access to the Internet right on the lenses. That way I could look up a suitable answers to my daughter's constant quest for knowledge and permission.

Today it was permission. As we, my daughter and I, sat enjoying some Pierre Maitre "Tarte d'Alsace", (a delectable flat bread covered with ham, caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese); she threw one at me. Mom can I have the "King" to my house for a sleep over?
Well, I almost choked.
"Huh?!" I feigned hearing loss.

Some Background:

The "King" as we will call him for this story, is a six year old boy in my daughter's kindergarten class. They met during orientation night and ended up being in the same class together. Noraline announced after the first day in school that she would marry the "King". She is obsessed with him being on anything but Green in class and tells his Mother promptly if he was misbehaving in class that day or not.  The "King" with his short mohawk hairstyle seems like a Rocker and Harley Davidson aficionado in the making. Oh Boy!  and she thinks he is Prince Charming. That's it in a nutshell.

Meanwhile back at the dinner table:

"Noraline, please don't talk with food in your mouth", I said
and that silence lasted about 10 seconds.
"Can he come Mom, pleasssseeee?? It's just a sleepover." She had that look.
"Well", I started, "don't you think we should arrange a play date first before anything else?"
I could not come up with answers about why I wanted to yell, " no way, man".
In my head, I heard myself thinking quite loudly - "Hey! -  at least you are teaching her to date first ..." knowing fully well that Dad won't allow any dating until she is Forty.

I was relieved when my 22 month old son starting rubbing his half eaten dinner across the placemat. Tending to him was a welcomed distraction and the discussion ended.

That night before bed, she did remind me to ask the "King's" Mom about getting together. "After all he is my best friend Mom." She was so matter of fact. I wonder if he even knows that the wedding china has already been picked out. To be continued...Smile!

What is Love?

As we are now officially seven days away from Valentine's Day, I thought hmmmm (that's me thinking) - "What is Love" and what does it mean to me? 

Love is Family. 

Love is Respect. 

Love is Beauty within. 

Love is a kind Smile. Love is Unconditional. 

Love is Caring. Love is a Merry-go-round. Love is Friendship. Love is Community. 

Love is Trust. Love is Good. Love is a Natural occurrance. Love is Unexpected. 

Love is just that Love.

 

Oh La Vache..what got into me??

I really don't know what got into me today but I got up and started cooking like mad. After the regularly scheduled french toast round for breakfast...I decided to make the following for lunch, dinner and snack - maybe.


I made Vichyssoise, sweet onion and cheese tartlets along with a pot of Gumbo. I used the following recipes, with a few substitutions here and there and four hours later....hmmm hmmm good!


Here they are:


From allrecipes.com - Vichyssoise (not pictured)

Ingredients

• 2 leeks, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes
• 2 1/3 cups chicken stock
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/8 cups heavy whipping cream
• 
  
• Directions
• Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
• 
  
• Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
• 
  
• Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Cool. Gently stir in the cream before serving.

From Sandra Lee Semi-homemade - Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese Tarts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups frozen chopped onions, thawed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Kosher salt
• 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1 (14-ounce) box refrigerated pie crust
• Special equipment: 1 (12-count) nonstick mini muffin tin

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, add the oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the onions, sugar, and salt, to taste. Cook until the onions begin to brown. Adjust the heat to low and cook slowly, turning often, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the onions from the heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl combine the goat cheese, egg, cream, and thyme. Pour the mixture into a small resealable plastic food storage bag. Snip off a corner of the bag to use it for piping.

Lay the pie crusts out flat on a clean surface and with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter cut out 12 circles from each crust. Press them into the cups of the mini-muffin tin. Fill each cup 1/2 way with the cooled onions. Pipe the cheese mixture on top of the onions, filling the cups. Bake the tarts until the filling is set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let the tarts cool slightly, and then remove them from the muffin tin and serve.

I ran out of goat cheese, so I used shredded mozzarella, Pillsbury's butter and honey biscuits instead of pie crusts and sweet Vivaldi onion confecture.

From Gumbo City - Chicken, Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 lb. boneless,skinless chicken thighs
1/2 lb. chorizo sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 lb. medium shrimp, shelled & deveined
1 cup long grain rice, cooked as directed on the package

Instructions:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over med-low heat. Gradually stir in flour, and cook, stirring, until mixture is dark brown ~ about 15 minutes.

Mix the broth in slowly and blend until smooth.

At the same time you start the roux start to cook the vegetables: In a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until hot.

Add celery, garlic, green pepper, and onion and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

To the roux-thickened broth add the stewed tomatoes, chicken, chorizo, herbs, salt, black pepper and the vegetables.

Add 4 cups of dark beer or water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off any fat that comes to the surface.

Add the shrimp and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn opaque.

For additional flavor, I added pimentos peppers, okra and tomatillos to this recipe.

Kulfi means... It's Dessert Time

A treat for Noraline Aubergine usually means I am in the kitchen making something that will expand my hips by just looking at it.   Yes, a promise is a promise no matter how fattening - So we made homemade Kulfi.

Kulfi, an East Indian milk based dessert, is rich and creamy and unlike it's counterpart ice cream, has no air. It's what we call a whole lot of dense goodness. She was quite excited because we were watching Aartie Party the other day on tv and as the latest winner of the Next Food Network Star, Aartie made the quickest and most delicious looking Kulfi we have ever seen - literally.

As usual Noraline just had to have some... and of course, I just had to obliged. Any reason to get in the kitchen and experiment - right?! Besides the change in seasons had Noraline under the weather, so having a special dessert to look forward to was quite the reward.

It was very easy to make and funny enough we had all the ingredients at home.  It tasted good, so sweetly good that we ate the first one that was frozen solid.

Even though Noraline was not feeling well, after having some Kulfi she had a marvelous and quick recovery.

Delish!!

Before the Food Network win and after... click here for the recipe.

French Macaron 101- Part Deux: What not to do?

The French Macaron story continues. Wait, wait, what did I say  - Story, no, I meant Saga. 

I watched my much coveted Macarons sitting in a container on the counter. My girlfriend stops by and I asked her opinion. "They are goooood", she said with a mouthful of cookie. "I'll take some home with me." She did and the following day, posted on Facebook, that she was in church dreaming of them - well, that was trouble. I went to work the next day and everyone was looking for the dreamy macarons, the threats came one after the other and I felt it would not be safe walk home alone - smile. 

Okay, okay, so I promised to make some more, after all it was an experiment in "can she do it". I tried and it resulted in what you see above. I still had no parchment paper and my spatula trick did not work this time - teflon or metal. I threw it out, all except the (made from scratch) buttercream...which came out delicious by the way. By Wednesday, too many requests came in for when the famous macarons were going to make it to my office. I sought the parchment paper and found a roll at Tarzian West. Guess what I was doing in between family obligations that night. Anyway, with all ingredients set, correct tools in hand and the oven warmed, I set out to create the perfect macarons.

My hopes were dashed, instead of beautiful coral colored cookies, I got almond thins. Everything went well, except the part where the macarons remained tall and soft on the inside. They fell flat like my esteem...argh!!! Something went wrong along the way and the only thing I can surmise is the following dos and don'ts:

Send kids and husband off to babysitter

Follow Recipe to the T

Do not use the easy version

Use all required ingredients and tools

Take your time

Have a beverage while you create

Kitchen must be cool to prevent melted whips

Have a back up plan, ie: know supplier of French Macarons to make purchase, when all doesn’t go well

Smile and...

Have family members or friends who will eat them anyway

Enjoy!

French Macarons 2.00 Euros each - Come and get 'em!!!

If you ever hear anyone complaining about the price of a French Macaron, then they probably have never gone far enough to have one. In Europe, you can pay 2 euros, where as in New York, they are over 3 dollars - ah yes - for one.

I have been obsessed with French Macarons for the last month and half.  I see them everywhere and crave them every time I have a cupper. Quite frankly, I believe it will be the new cup cake in that something old has been made new...modernized if you will.

Laduree and Pierre Hermes are famous for theirs and lately these sweet little treats have won over the hearts of brides again. New York City has one (cafe that is) ready to delight your palette or you can always get some at Saks Fifth Avenue. Obsession is a cruel thing and maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but, I had to make them. Of course knowing how special they were, I searched high and low for the perfect but easist recipe I could find. Eureka, when I landed on the Food Network's version of easy.  I knew not to get it from Martha, because like me, she is a perfectionist and I probably would have had to be sent off to the looney bin if they didn't come out right.

Easy yes, degree of difficulty high. Hmmm....the first issue came when I read the second ingredient. Almond flour - of course it would be something not readily available in my neighborhood supermarket, but thank goodness for all the healthy co-ops and stores that did carry it, a couple of phone calls later, I was well on my way.

With apron tied and a little Charles Aznavour song in my head (Toi et Moi), I happily gathered everything together and eagerly jumped in. Sifting and sifting and sifting and sifting. Twenty minutes later, I was almost finished sifting. The confectioner's sugar and almond flour had to mix evenly or it was a done deal. Next whipping the egg white to a fluffy but stiff consistency. I think I under beat mine. The purple color I was going for was a bit off and then came the baking part.

Not having any parchment, I used my silicone baking mat. The first set came out to large and I also ruined them by not steaming then loose. Being a smarter baker than I thought, I realized that dipping the spatula in hot water allowed me to move the macarons from baking sheet to cooling rack with ease. Thank goodness. The next set came out better. I got the hang of making smaller disks and piping it so that they would cook a little higher. I didn't make my own buttercream which in hindsight I should have, because this treat is sweet on its own - very sweet. All in all, I appreciate them even more now; for the two and a half hours of work, for teaching me to always follow a recipe to the letter... and for the mini tea party I had with my daughter afterwards.

I came across a delightful blog, where the writer summed it up perfectly and posted a great recipe for it too. Here is the link to that and more:

http://designismine.blogspot.com

http://macaroncafe.com/

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/

http://www.pixpatisserie.com

http://www.laduree.fr

http://www.pierreherme.com

A New Hobby...

Inspired by all things Shabby Chic, my little darling Noraline Aubergine has been practicing her jewelry making skills. Her darling, Bear, is loving every minute of it and relishing in dress-up time.

all rights reserved

The Vintage and ... Flower Collection

Portrait of a Rose

Hello, My Name Is Rose

I'm a Flower Model

Work It!!

That's it - Now gimme wilting, you're wilting...

Beautiful...more, more

Gorgeous Darlin' - Great Work

That's a wrap - People!

Muwah - Muwah

Stopping to smell the Roses

by Luke Sherlock

I realize how lucky I am on days like last Sunday. Mother's Day, of course, always reminds me that I am lucky to have a mother who is still living. She turned 72 on the Friday before. I am lucky to be married to my best friend and, am lucky to have some wonderful friends who happen to be mothers.


As part of the Mother's Day weekend, as my wife calls it, we visited with family on the Island and took walks in the local parks which reminded me of how lucky I am to live in New York. The neighborhoods are decent, by normal standards but nearby there are some truly beautiful parks which upgrade the surroundings exponentially.


We took a walk in the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, an old estate given by endowment to the State many years ago. The original family was quite wealthy and had a Tudor style mansion which is now a museum. The grounds, which border the Connetquot River, have every sort of plant and tree imaginable; thanks to the hobby of the original owner. The many paths take one through forests of rhododendrons and giant oaks; and such rare beauties as redwoods and Japanese yews.


In just a 3 mile loop we saw such wildlife as a blue heron hunting by the shore, geese and their new born goslings, a mallard and her 11 ducklings, two giant white swans, an old very large sapping turtle, circling starlings plucking flies out of the air and the famous osprey searching the park for food for their young.


Across the river is the Idle Hour section of Oakdale and the home of Dowling College, another former estate. Even with the high winds, the river was calm and we could see all the boat houses across the way where the rowing crew teams stow their skiffs. 


Just north of the arboretum is Connectquot State Park, a vast tract of land with similar, if more numerous, vegetation and wildlife, The river flows to the great South Bay passing Hecksher State Park, another huge space filled with all manner of beast and fowl.


Sometimes we get caught up in our every day and we forget exactly what blessings there are, practically at our fingertips. It was a great reminder.


See you at the park!
Lucky Luke (not the cowboy)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Hooray for Moms, they help us bloom...

Mother ~ Mommy ~Mum ~ Mamman ~ Mutter ~ Mama ~ Madre ~Mere ~ Maji ~Ammee ~ Mom ~ Mummy ~ Mãe ~ Mëmë ~ Nënë ~ Burim ~ Kryemurgeshë ~ inahan ~ nanay ~ Majka ~ abatyse ~ Moeder ~ Ema ~ Emo Emä ~ Kantaäiti ~ Äiti ~ Màna ~ Makuahine ~ Anya ~ Fu ~ Iloy ~ Nanay ~ Nay ~ Induk ~ Ibu ~ Biang ~ Nyokap...Thank You!!